


Revalations

by TSCA



Series: Interlopers [4]
Category: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018), Thundercats (1985)
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:07:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 47,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26919340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TSCA/pseuds/TSCA
Summary: Now that the Rebellion is back in the universe, they find that the Horde's shadow reaches far beyond Etheria, and the fate of many worlds hangs in the balance as Horde Prime moves to stamp out enemies who have plagued him for far too long.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Series: Interlopers [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1473320
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	1. The Quarry

Wind whipped around the Blackstone Quarry as hundreds of slaves toiled tirelessly to extract the valuable ores within. The sun was setting on the mine, but they knew that their labor would not end with the day.

Jaxon coughed until his leg muscles gave way from lack of oxygen. The dust he had been forced to breathe day in and day out from toiling under the whip of Skeletor's minions choked his lungs and made every breath a struggle.

"Back on your feet, slave!" An overseer cracked his whip overhead. "Or else I swear that you'll bear the mark of the lash until your dying days!"

'Won't be long at this rate,' Jaxon thought as he pulled himself to his feet. He grabbed the pickaxe he had been issued and dragged it behind him into the mines, eager to put more distance between him and the overseer.

"Work faster, you fools!" Evil-Lynn shouted from her tent overlooking the quarry. "Honestly, Beast Man, where did you find these miserable miscreants?"

"I did the best I could, Evil-Lynn," Beast Man growled. "You must realize that the best men have either been killed in the war or enlisted in the ranks of the Free Eternian Army?"

"Do not mention that name in my presence!" Evil-Lynn snapped. "With any luck, they will be but a distant memory by the time Skeletor returns!"

Trap-Jaw snorted from his chair. "What's your newfound obsession with pleasing Skeletor anyways? I bet my next meal against Clawful that'd you'd try to usurp him again!"

"Not yet, my fatuous friend. For Skeletor has the favor of Horde Prime now, and through him we can curry favor with the Master of the Universe. Only when we have established ourselves with a higher power can we safely overthrow that bone-headed boob Skeletor!"

"So we're going over his head, eh?" Beast-Man chuckled. "Or is it his skull?"

Evil-Lynn smacked him with her staff. "It'll be yours if you can't get me results! I want our output to double, you hear me? Double!"

"Alright, alright," Beast-Man grumbled. "But don't blame me when He-Man shows up!"

"Oh, not at all," Evil-Lynn chuckled. "In fact, I'm counting on it.

* * *

Hidden in the woods around the quarry, Prince Adam of Eternia watched the overseers drive their slaves well into the night. He had memorized the patrol routes by now, and climbed into the quarry without drawing any attention from the guards. A tattered blanket covered a guard's empty cot at the bottom; he wrapped it around himself as he infiltrated the tunnels.

The mines were choked in dust and the air was heavy with sweat; there was no circulation to carry any of it away and provide even the smallest amount of relief for the slaves. He clenched his fists in anger, but reminded himself that he had to go about this carefully. Charging recklessly into battle had cost too much already.

"Who goes there! I don't recognize you!"

Prince Adam tightened his grip on the sword he carried at his side as he turned to face the voice, but it belonged to one of the many slaves. 

"And who asks?" He responded.

"I'm Jaxon, the closest thing to a foreman we have around here," Jaxon said. "Now quit your stalling and show your face!"

Adam replied by letting the man see the sword under the cloak.

"By the gods," Jaxon whispered. "He-Man! You've come to save us!"

"No," Adam said. "I have come to help you save yourselves. Let the others know that the time to cast off their chains is nigh; tonight we will strike a blow for freedom together!"

"Give me an hour, and I'll have the men ready to break out!" Jaxon shook Adam's hand firmly before the slave darted off to find the others.

Adam crouched down behind a pile of crates and rested his aching body. The journey here had been difficult, and surveying the quarry for hours was no easy task. He closed his eyes and let the hour pass quietly; He-Man had limitless stamina, but Prince Adam was a different matter.

When his hour was up, Adam drew the Sword of Power and whispered. "By the power of Grayskull!"

No matter how many times he channeled the mystical ancient magic of Castle Grayskull, he never lost the sense of amazement and wonder that came with transforming into the most powerful man in the universe. The rush of adrenaline was indescribable; it swept away all fatigue from his body while banishing fear from his mind. In an instant, he was refreshed and ready for battle. "I have the power!"

Yes, he had the power. He may not have had much else these days, but there was always the power of Grayskull. With it came the hope for a better tomorrow; as long as he had the sword, he could still fight for Eternia.

He-Man stepped out of the mine and unleashed a wave of energy from the sword that shattered the guard towers around the quarry. He gave the guards no time to recover from their shock as he knocked them aside and cleared a path through them for the slaves.

"Seize the ore-haulers," he shouted. "Make your way to Eternos! Fight for a free Etheria!"

The slaves charged at their captors with pickaxes held high. The guards fired a handful of laser beams at the slaves, but quickly broke rank and fled, dropping their weapons behind them.

"We're free!" Jaxon cried as he scavenged a laser rifle. 

"Not if I can help it!" Trap-Jaw burst out of the ruins of a watchtower with a laser cannon attached to his body.

Adam stepped in front of him and raised his sword. "Your quarrel in this quarry is with me, Trap-Jaw! Let these people go!"

"He-Man! I'll have your head for this!" Trap-Jaw fired a laser beam at Adam, who raised his sword and let the reflection sweep across the walls of the mining pit.

Evil-Lyn ducked as the laser beam set her tent on fire and shook her fist in fury. "Trap-Jaw you fool! Shut that thing off!"

"I'm trying! I'm trying!" Trap-Jaw began to bang on his attachment to no effect. "My arm has a mind of its own!"

"Then let me give you a hand!"

Adam brought the sword down on Trap-Jaw's laser cannon and cut cleanly through it. He took advantage of the stunned Trap-Jaw and gave him a kick between the legs that sent the cyborg flying up, where he landed in the fiery remains of Evil-Lyn's tent.

"Looks like you should have left the evil schemes to Skeletor," Adam laughed.

"Not so fast, you sword-swinging schmuck!" Evil-Lyn raised her hands and wove a magic spell around herself. "You seem to have forgotten one critical detail: You are at the bottom of a pit!"

The spell turned into a shield for herself and her minions as Beast Man activated a remote control. Dozens of mining charges exploded all at once in a blinding flash of light that shook the ground and caused the earth to swallow He-Man whole. When the smoke had cleared, there was only a collapsed crater where the quarry once stood, with Evil-Lyn and the others floating in a sphere of force.

"Is that it? Is he dead?" Beast Man gasped. "Have we… won?"

Evil-Lyn smacked him on the head. "No, you walking rug! No one's dead until we see the body, or at least a piece of it. Grab a shovel and put those muscles of yours to use!"

* * *

The portal to Eternia led Adora to a small village tucked within wooded hills. It looked like there were a few hundred inhabitants at its peak, though most of the houses were neglected and abandoned now. Still, it seemed like it was worth exploring; at the very least, it could provide shelter for the six of them. They walked up to an abandoned inn and carefully peeked inside. Dust covered the tables and floors of the inn, but it was otherwise in good shape.

"Do you really intend to sleep in this hovel?" Hordak wiped a table and examined the thick coating of dust that clung to his fingers. 

"I bet I could get it cleaned up in a jiffy!" Swift Wind flapped his wings and sent a cloud of dust billowing over the group.

Adora coughed and opened up a window. "Stop that! You're just making it worse!"

She looked out of the window and froze. A convoy of trucks was headed into the village, and they looked like the same model that she had grown up around in the Horde. She motioned for the others to be quiet and hide as the trucks drew near.

"What do we do now?" Lonnie whispered.

"I say we take 'em on, they're probably up to no good!" Scorpia punched the air furiously. "We'll blindside them as they pass through!"

Adora nodded and drew her sword. "For the honor of Grayskull!"

  
Outside, Jaxon gazed out of the ore-hauler window as he drove it into the remains of Mill Valley. He-Man had told them to make for Eternos, but everyone had left loved ones behind when Skeletor had torn them from their families to toil in his mines. But in their absence, the village had been abandoned. There was nothing for them now, and no sign of where their families had gone.

He sat gazing upon their abandoned homes when a stun bolt flew into the cabin and hit the man riding beside him. A barrage of ill-disciplined laser beams soon filled the air from the other escapees as they tried to fend off their attackers. Jaxon ducked and grabbed the rifle from the passenger's hands so that he could return fire. He scanned the buildings around them carefully, but saw no signs of life in any of them.

A winged shadow passed overhead, just before something heavy crashed into the top of his hauler. A sharp crystal sword ripped open the cabin roof, and he found himself pointing the rifle up at a glowing warrior woman who looked as surprised to see him as he did to see her.

"Who in Eternia are you?" He gasped. Do you work for Skeletor?"

Adora frowned. "No, and I'd appreciate it if you stopped shooting at me and my friends!"

She gestured to the scene behind them, where Scorpia and Lonnie were engaged in fierce close quarters combat and tossing men around like ragdolls. Jaxon nodded and quickly switched on the ore-hauler's radio.

"Everyone stop fighting!" he shouted. "Stop before someone gets hurt!"

"I'm already hurt," someone sniped back over the radio. 

"Well don't make things worse!"

The sound of fighting slowly died down as both sides drew away from each other. Jaxon made sure that his friends were alright before he returned to face the strangers. The warrior bore markings he had never seen, but the two women next to her wore uniforms that were far too familiar.

"I've seen those markings before," he frowned. "They belong to Skeletor's master, Horde Prime!"

"Well I didn't exactly have time to grab a change of clothes before I ditched the Horde," Lonnie shrugged.

"I did," Scorpia said. "But all I had in my closet were dresses."

Jaxon regarded them warily. "Are you all deserters?"

"All but two."

"I don't know what your plan is on this world, but we're headed to Eternos, the safest place in this hemisphere." Jaxon sighed and looked around at his village. "Safer than here, at least."

"Perhaps we could come with you, then?" Adora put on her best smile. "You need protection, and we need help finding information."

"How many of you are there?"

"Just two more." Adora motioned for Entrapta and Hordak to join them. "Please don't be frightened."

Jaxon looked the couple up and down. Adora was worried that he might respond poorly to Hordak, but it seemed as if Jaxon had never actually seen any of Horde Prime's clones in person; he regarded Hordak with far less suspicion than he had Lonnie and Scorpia..

"Let me discuss it with the group," Jaxon said. "If the rest of them think you can be trusted, we can head off together."

  
  


The ore haulers rumbled through overgrown roads and decaying bridges as they continued on their trek to Eternos. Jaxon wiped sweat from his brow as he stood in the bed of the ore hauler with his laser rifle at the ready; the Dark Continent was a treacherous enough place on its own, without Skeletor's evil warriors thrown into the mix. And although he had acquired new allies, he could not put all of his faith in them.

He looked back at the newcomers to see Scorpia offering him a canteen full of water. "Hey, you've been standing there for a while. You want to sit down?"

He took a swig of the water and handed it back. "I'll rest easy when we're behind the walls of Eternos."

"Is that some kind of fortress?"

"It is our planet's capital. It has stood against the forces of evil for decades, and is a bright beacon of light for the rest of the world."

"Wow," Scorpia said. "Sounds like they have everything there."

"Yes," Jaxon nodded. "It is the center of our civilization and culture. Their archives stretch back to Pre-Eternian days, when the Ancients once ruled over this world."

"Ancients?" Adora felt a shiver run up her spine. "Did they found Eternia?"

"I believe they did, a great many centuries ago. But they are all gone now; all that remains of their civilization is a mystical power hidden away in Castle Grayskull."

Mara frowned. "But if they are gone, who protects Castle Grayskull? And where…"

She glanced at Adora, but left the question of where she could have come from unasked.

"It is protected by a guardian known as the Sorceress," Jaxon said. "She holds the power of Grayskull and bestows it on those she deems worthy, like He-Man."

"He-Man?" Mara looked puzzled. "I don't believe I've ever heard of such a person."

"Ah, that is because you are new here. He-Man is the greatest warrior of Eternia, and has spent many years fighting evil across the land. Why, he is the reason we were able to escape Skeletor's forces before we ran into you."

"Curious. I would very much like to meet this 'He-Man' for myself."

Adora gripped the Sword of Protection protectively. "Can we find him at Eternos?"

"I suppose you would; Castle Grayskull is not too far from the capital, and He-Man has often appeared to defend us from many dangers." Jaxon frowned at her. "Including the Horde."

Scorpia raised her eyebrows. "Hey, we're not up to anything!"

"All I want are answers," Adora added. "Honest."

Jaxon shrugged. "Well, perhaps you'll find some at the end of our journey."

* * *

Searing pain shot through Prince Adam's head as he opened his eyes. The chamber he was in had little light, but he could still see that it was some kind of dungeon. He strained his muscles attempting to get up, and saw that he was strapped to a table in the middle of the room. The stone walls and gloomy atmosphere were familiar to him; he would have been willing to bet any amount of money that he was in Snake Mountain on the Dark Hemisphere of Eternia. He was proven right moments later when Evil-Lyn strolled into the room.

"Well well," she sneered. "The mighty He-Man is now but a helpless prisoner in my dungeons!"

"Your dungeons? I thought this place belonged to Skeletor."

"It will be mine soon enough!" She snapped. "Now that we have this rare opportunity, I will finally unlock the secrets of Castle Grayskull for myself and rule over all Eternia!"

Adam did his best to keep a straight face at her antics; she was spilling more information than a postal worker's mailbag. "Impossible! Not even Skeletor could do that!"

"Do not compare me to that bone-headed buffoon! He had power but none of the brains to use it!" She held aloft the Sword of Power. "This will be the key to my victory!"

"It would be if you knew how to use it." Adam rolled his eyes. "I'll give Skeletor this much credit, he at least had an idea of how it worked."

"Silence, He-Fool! Long have I eavesdropped on Skeletor, and I have learned many secrets!" She threw her head back in laughter. "Did you know that the Sword of Power was forged as part of a set?"

Adam clenched his jaw and kept his face blank. "What nonsense is this?"

"Poor He-Man, it seems that there were things that Sorcererss never told you," Evil-Lyn chuckled. "Yes, there is also a Sword of Protection! What's more, I know its wielder – She-Ra of Eternia! It is only a matter of time before Skeletor captures the naive child and her sword! And when both swords are presented to Castle Grayskull, it will acknowledge the wielder as its new master – and I intend for that to be me!"

"Leave her alone, you witch!" Adam strained at his bonds to no avail. "Is there no limit to your depravity? Have you at long last no shame?"

Evil-Lyn shook her head as she turned to leave the room. "He-Man, you should know by now that there is nothing that I would not do for power."

She left him alone in the dark dungeon mired in his own thoughts. Adam did his best to steady his nerves as he lay on the table. The past few years had been filled with tribulations and many losses, but he still had friends and allies. They would come for him, he was certain.


	2. The Pride of Thundera

Catra's eyes took a moment to adjust to the dark night the portal had lead her to. She was standing in a back alley of some large city street now. The buildings on the street were lit by the silvery light of a bright full moon, and the sprawling skyline reminded her of the Fright Zone, although it was much cleaner and less cluttered. And while the Fright Zone was always bustling with activity, this place was eerily quiet.

Did they shut the entire city down at night? It certainly made it easier to sleep, and preserved the natural beauty of the night sky. She sat on a street bench and took a good look upwards. An uncountable number of stars hung above her, with most of them clustered in a band that stretched across the night sky. There were no stars in Despondos, and although she had caught a brief glimpse of them when she was in the Everfree Forest, she had been far too preoccupied with her own insecurities and the battle with Skeletor to really appreciate them. Now that she could, she found them breathtaking.

The bench was suddenly lit up by a blinding searchlight. Catra squinted and could just make out the outline of a small aircraft descending on her position. Her instincts told her to run, but it seemed like a losing proposition; she was in a strange city and ultimately she did need to make contact with some authority figures.

"Halt and identify yourself," a harsh voice growled over the loudspeakers.

"What's going on? I was just sitting down?" She yelled back.

Her eyes widened as a heavily armored feline jumped out of the craft and landed on all fours in front of her; it was the first creature like her that she had ever seen. "You're out way past curfew, lady! Put your hands up, you're under arrest by the authority of High Command!"

Catra groaned and raised her arms above her head. "I just can't catch a break, can I?"

* * *

The light in the interrogation chamber was uncomfortably bright, but Catra supposed that was the point. It seemed their plan was to put her on edge and let prolonged isolation loosen her tongue. Catra remembered her time in solitary confinement as punishment for betraying Hordak, and balled her fists. She was not going to give in that easily; she stared resentfully at the mirrored wall in front of her – likely two way glass – until the door finally opened.

A chameleon-like lizard dressed in tight fitting robes walked in and casually took a seat across the table from her. "Hello. Catra, is it? Do you have a last name you'd like to share with us?"

  
Catra crossed her arms. "Yeah, 'Meowmeow'." 

The lizard leaned forward. "There's no need for hostility, Catra. I'm here to help you on behalf of the Military Intelligence Directorate. You can call me Tiberius."

"Wow, an intelligence officer. I guess that means you believe my 'wild and outlandish tale of flight and fancy', then?"

Tiberius burst out into full bodied laughter. "Don't judge the troopers too harshly, they've been under a lot of stress lately. Besides, they couldn't be expected to confirm any of your story with the equipment at the station."

"And you have?"

"Perhaps. The mutations in your genetic code suggest that your people diverged from the general Thunderan population over a thousand years ago, but it isn't definitive. It's not out of the question that you could be some designer clon. The Horde certainly knows their way around cloning technology." He pulled her headpiece out of his coat. "Still, I'd like to hear from you where you came from, and why you're wearing this old ceremonial headpiece" 

"That? Something my parents left me. Couldn't say why, I never met them. Don't really want to talk about my upbringing either; I'd rather put some distance between it and myself. Thought I could here, but I guess I was wrong."

Tiberius pressed his claws together in contemplation for a moment before speaking. "Well, that depends. We might consider it if you do us a favor in return."

Catra raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And where would that be?"

"Well, let's just say that I have a good feeling that you can handle yourself. Well, we do have a delicate situation that requires some… hm, problem solving, you might say. A few months back we were raided by space pirates who stole one of our national treasures. The High Command has placed the Republic under a state of emergency ever since."

"All this over, what, some jewels?"

"Not jewels, just a sword. It's not worth much as a weapon now, but it means something to us, and being stolen represents a severe breach of security."

"Yeah, sucks for you. But I'm sure you've got your own special agents, so why bother with me?"

"Well, as we've established, you're not one of us. Gives you some more credibility if you were to maneuver in, say, unorthodox circles."

Catra rolled her eyes. "I'm sure they're just dying to receive my application."

"Well, your resume might be short and your references non-existent, but I can give you something that'll help you make it to the interview." He waved to the mirror and the door opened again shortly after.

A young tiger-like Thunderan walked into the room and nodded curtly at the two occupants. "Tybalt di Leone, at your service."

"Welcome, lieutenant. Here is the individual you expressed interest in."

Catra crossed her arms and regarded him suspiciously. "And who are you?"

"A naval officer with a personal stake in this mission," he said. "If you have any other questions, I suggest you hold them until we are aboard my ship; I was called away from my regular duties and I would very much like to get back to them."

"Then lead on," Catra said.

They walked through unmarked hallways with harsh fluorescent lighting until they came to a ship in an underground hanger. It was easily the size of a large dropship capable of holding a platoon or two, though it seemed to be outfitted for freight hauling. The cargo hold opened up automatically as they came near, which allowed them to walk through it and into the ship's living quarters.

"There's a small individual cabin here," Tybalt said as he opened a door for her. "I hope you don't mind sparse accommodations?"

Catra peeked into the room. It has barely enough space for a bed, desk, and a small bathroom - a privilege compared to what she had in the Horde barracks. 

"I think I'll manage," she said. "Can I have a moment to unwind?"

"You can sleep all night if you want, they won't be done outfitting this ship until the morning."

It was hard to state how much Catra appreciated being able to rest in an actual bed, as opposed to camping out on someone's floor like a stray they had taken in. She could sleep in as much as she wanted, wrap herself in as many blankets as she could find, and be alone until she felt ready to confront the world. She stayed in bed until it was nearly noon, and spent the next hour relishing the hot water in her bathtub – an unheard of luxury in the Horde, where Force Commanders only had the privilege of a private shower – before she got out to answer a persistent knocking at her door.

Tybalt strolled into her room wearing a blue jumpsuit which clashed badly with his orange fur. "Catra, are you settled into your quarters?"

"Yeah, I'm good. What's next?"

"This would be a good time to brief you."

He sat down at the computer terminal in her room and brought up the image of a Thunderan pirate. He was an older male well into middle age, whose impressive black mane was streaked with silver, and he glared at them with a defiant glare in both of his eyes, one natural and the other bionic.

"This is Cyrus Blackmane," Tybalt said. "He's made quite a name for himself across the galaxy as a thief, mercenary, and freebooter. Greedy amoral bastard."

"Is he from Thundera too?"

"He was born on Denebola-Prime, actually. Some thirty-six lightyears away." Tybalt switched to a picture of a sleek starship bristling with all manner of weapons. "This is his ship, the Belladonna."

Catra let out a low whistle. "That's a lot of guns."

"It used to be the battlecruiser Admiral Félix LaChance before he stole it from the Titan shipyards as it was being retrofitted with a cloaking device."

"Massive firepower and invisibility? I can see why he wanted it. Why wasn't it better guarded?"

Tybalt looked slightly embarrassed. "Well, modern fleet tactics center around carriers, light cruisers, and missile frigates. Less raw firepower, but more versatility. As a result, many of our heavier ships were relegated to second or third line duties in the reserves, planetary defense forces, or private merchant fleets. Sadly, they have a tendency to be more lax with their security protocols. I won't get into the details, but suffice it to say it was embarrassing."

"Is that why you have a personal stake in this mission?"

"For the honor of the navy? Well, that is a part of it, but the weapon he stole used to belong to my family."

"Your family owned a national treasure?" Catra let out a low whistle. "I bet you had a nice life growing up. I got beatings and gruel."

Tybalt looked mildly alarmed. "I'm sorry, was that a joke, or…"

"It was a joke. I didn't grow up like that. We had ration bars instead of gruel."

"I'm sure you'll be happy to know we don't do beatings anymore, and the bars have been replaced by self-heating meal packs."

"Wait, was that a joke?"

Tybalt shrugged and kept a straight face.

"Alright then, keep your secrets," Catra huffed. "Can you at least tell me what they stole?"

Tybalt cycled through pictures on the computer until he came to a sword with a red gem set in its hilt, the same one that Catra had seen when she had first learned of Thundera. "This is the Sword of Omens. It channels the power of the Eye of Thundera set in the hilt, which grants the wielder many powers if they are worthy. It was once passed from generation to generation in my family, but we enshrined it a long time ago when we decided it was better suited as a symbol of inspiration than a weapon."

"I imagine a nice sword just doesn't cut it against missiles, laser cannons, and killer robots?"

"Or nuclear weapons, antimatter bombs, and relativistic kill vehicles. But it is a powerful artifact nonetheless, if only for its ability to grant the user Sight Beyond Sight."

Catra raised an eyebrow. "Fortune telling?"

"I've been told it is a kind of clairvoyance, without the crystal ball or tea leaves."

"I'm surprised no one saw the pirates coming, then."

"I assure you that we've tried to make use of it, but it doesn't seem to think anyone's worthy anymore." He sighed. "I tried it myself when I was younger, as has everyone in my entire clan, but it has stayed silent. Perhaps it took offense to becoming a museum piece."

"I'd believe it; I'd go mad if I was put in a cage all day." She kicked back in her chair and put her hands behind her head. "So how do you plan on getting it back?"

"Now there's a big question," Tybalt said. "Too much for an empty stomach. Let's talk over lunch. I'll have it ready shortly."

Catra gazed out the window in silence after he left. From twenty-thousand miles away, Third Earth appeared as a beautiful blue marble suspended against an endless black void. Catra gazed at it in wonder; this was the planet her ancestors had come from, and it held thousands of years of history that she had never known. Her world was so much bigger now that she had left the Fright Zone, so much so that sometimes she could hardly believe it. The road here had been rough, but she was finally doing what she wanted, ten thousand light-years away from anyone she had ever known

She had left all her problems behind her, but also the only people who had ever cared about her. It was lonely without Adora and Scorpia; perhaps even the rest of the cadet squad that she had grown up with.. But she had hurt them all, and it was for the best that they were apart now. Even if they forgave her, it would not undo the damage she had done. And until she had done something to try and make things right, whatever relationship they would have would rest on shaky ground.

Maybe starting life over on Thundera would be for the best.

The smell of fresh food came wafting into her room, and she followed the scent to the ship's small kitchen. Tybalt stood in front of a small electric stove minding a pan full of happily sizzling sausages. His ears perked up as he heard the soft tapping of Catra's claws on the floor.

"So what's the plan, Tiger?"

He handed her a plate full of food. "Eggs. Sausages. Onions."

Catra sniffed the dish eagerly. "I can't believe how much food I've been missing out on. I wasn't joking about growing up on ration bars."

"As what, a refugee?"

She looked away from him. "Something like that."

"Well, we'll get you settled on New Thundera soon enough," Tybalt said. "Eat up. We're going to follow some leads I've been working on."


	3. Trouble on the Homefront

Living with Horde Voxx was certainly one of the stranger experiences of Glimmer's life so far. Although she had never clarified her status, she was fairly certain Voxx was holding her and Double Trouble as hostages as a form of revenge, and to ensure that the Rebellion was kept in line. Despite this, Voxx had been more courteous than she had expected. The room they were all sharing was spartan, but Glimmer suspected that it was because luxury did not exist in the Horde.

Still, Glimmer could not shake the feeling that Voxx was plotting something. Just because her goals were likely diplomatic did not make them any less sinister. Glimmer wrapped her arms around Double Trouble's sleeping form and looked out of the room's window at her home planet thousands of miles away.

"I hope everyone else is alright," she sighed.

"Homesick?" Voxx walked out of the bathroom with half the plates on her cyborg body missing. She began the slow process of refitting them as she sat on a bed across from Glimmer.

"I miss my friends," Glimmer said quietly. "I don't know what your soldiers are doing to them."

"They aren't my soldiers, Glimmer; we all belong to Horde Prime. However, I can assure you that your friends are well and unharmed. All living things have a place in service to Horde Prime."

"Like you?"

"Most are not as fortunate to be born into the Horde and designed specifically for diplomacy."

Glimmer's eyes wandered over Voxx's exposed wiring. "He made you like that?"

Voxx laughed. "In a manner of speaking, I suppose. He did not intend to make a female clone, but accidents happen. Fortunately, he was wise enough to see that a feminine touch might be beneficial. I suppose it is, but not enough to avoid the occasional assassination attempt."

"You're missing a lot of body parts. I guess you got hurt a lot?"

"Some of these are from injuries, but others I gave up willingly to better fill my role." Voxx leaned in until their noses were almost touching, and Glimmer saw that her irises were like a camera's aperture. "Upgrading my eyes allowed me to integrate with the Horde's communication network. And I replaced my left arm to improve my combat effectiveness."

Glimmer shuddered. "You don't miss them?"

"I do get phantom sensations sometimes, but I think that earning the favor of Horde Prime is more than worth the sacrifice. Though the Horde, I have been given a place in this vast universe, and have even achieved a form of immortality." Voxx tapped her skull. "My mind is linked to the next clone in my line, and my consciousness transfers instantly upon death so that I may live again."

"If you call this life." Glimmer gestured at the drab room they were in.

Voxx frowned. "I serve at the side of the most powerful being in the universe, and am privileged to bring others into the fold so that they can experience the order Horde Prime's rule brings. What could be a more worthy goal?"

"Funny, those who experience Horde rule don't seem too happy with it." Glimmer crossed her arms.

"It matters not if they like it; it is what they need. Each world that has submitted to the Horde has been better off for it."

"And those that refuse?"

"Serve as a lesson to others on the futility of resistance. It brings about quicker surrender and saves lives in the long run."

"It saves lives? It saves lives?" Glimmer slapped Voxx hard enough that the sound echoed in the room. "My father died fighting the Horde!"

If Voxx was phased by the attack, she did not show it. "Regrettable, but it was his decision. And now you have learned from his mistakes and chosen to cooperate."

Glimmer backed away in shock and collapsed onto her bed. Tears filled her eyes as she turned away from Voxx and pressed her forehead against the window. The quiet of the room was only occasionally broken by the sound of her sobbing.

If Glimmer had looked over her shoulder at that moment, she would have seen the corners of Voxx's mouth curl into a frown as she retreated to her own bed.

* * *

Voxx woke the next morning to see that Glimmer was in the bathroom ahead of her. It was just her and Double Trouble in the room now. A very angry Double Trouble who was glaring daggers at Voxx.

"What's your problem?" Double Trouble hissed. "Is this some sort of sick game to you?"

"I assure you that I am treating this with the utmost seriousness," Voxx said cooly. 

"So emotionally traumatizing Glimmer is just business?"

"It's better for her to understand her place in the Horde sooner rather than later. To those who join us, we offer peace, security, and purpose. To those who resist, we offer annihilation."

Double Trouble's tail thrashed angrily. "Oh, so because we won't join you we deserve to die?"

"If you do not join the Horde, then you are already dead. If not by our hand, then by someone else's; this universe belongs to the strong, not the weak. Those who do not seize power are devoured by those with the resolve to do so. It is the law of the jungle, as old as the stars, and the most fundamental rule of nature."

"And you actually believe that drivel?" Double Trouble gestured out of the window. "Etheria was doing fine before you people showed up. Everyone got along with each other, got by well enough, and was happy."

"And you lived in the shadow of a civilization greater than your own, whose secrets you ignored in favor of prolificacy. A few less palaces and a few more scientists like Entrapta would have given you a chance at harnessing the true power of Etheria, but you chose to become fat and lazy. Now you have paid the price for your decadence and the Horde will manage the world you have squandered."

"I've seen what you people have done. Both in the Fright Zone and in occupied territories. If you think strip-mining our planet–"

Voxx cut her off with a burst of laughter that sounded like rusted gears grating together. "The Horde has no need for your petty resources. There are empty planets, asteroid fields, and stars aplenty out in the galaxy, more than you could ever hope to comprehend."

Double Trouble swallowed nervously. "Then what do you need our planet for?"

"I expect you'll see soon enough," Voxx said. "In fact, have no doubt that you and Glimmer will be guests of honor at the event."

* * *

Hot water washed over Glimmer as she sat on the bottom of the shower. It reminded her of the Steam Grotto in Mystacor, and happier times with Adora and Bow. But Adora was in another dimension now, and Bow was far below her on Etheria. 

She heard a gentle knock at the door and sighed. "Come in, DT."

"How did you know it was me?" 

"I doubt Voxx would knock."

Double Trouble slid into the bathroom and closed the door firmly behind her. "Yeah, you're right. She's gone, by the way. Left to attend some briefing."

"I'm not staying here because of her," Glimmer sniffed.

"Hey, it's ok. You don't have to pretend that you're not scared. I'm scared too, and… it's fine, I guess. We can be scared as long as we face it." They stood by the door awkwardly. "So… you got a plan? Because I'm starting to get antsy. Voxx has been creeping me out with all her 'survival of the fittest' talk."

"I don't know." Glimmer's voice barely made it past the sound of the shower. "I always grew up thinking that if we fought hard enough, we could beat the Horde and free Etheria. But we don't have starships, armies, or allies. Maybe Shadow Weaver was right; maybe we should just do what they say. Scorpia was raised by the Horde, and they let her live, didn't they?"

Double Trouble looked at her in shock. "I can't believe I'm hearing this! You're Commander Glimmer of the Rebellion! You've always fought for what's wright, to protect people from the Horde! Was that all for nothing? It doesn't matter if the enemy is Hordak or his dad, everyone has a weak spot! Are you going to find it or sulk in the shower?" Double Trouble opened the door and stepped out. "Because if so, then you might as well just stay there."

They let the door close softly behind them, and the bathroom was filled with the sound of running water again.


	4. An Etherian Princess In King Randor's Court

The city of Eternos was not glamorous like Bright Moon. It did not have golden palaces with alabaster walls, nor a glowing Runestone that inspired its people; it was built of terra cotta brick and mortar, with strong defensive walls and a plain palace that looked over the entire city. Nonetheless, it had a certain charm; it was beautiful in the way that an old set of armor or worn sword was beautiful.

Mara watched the city as they drew near, and shook her head. "I wish you could have seen Eternos in my time, Adora. The buildings were made of polished metal and gleaming crystal, with wondrous monuments to our people."

"You can thank the three hundred years of rule under the Snake Men for that," Jaxon sighed. "Anything that they didn't destroy was lost during the Great Wars that overthrew them some five hundred years ago."

"Your Snake Men arrived eight hundred years ago, then. It seems that the Etherian colony did not survive for long." She balled her fists in frustration and lowered her head. 

Adora hugged her gently. "I'm sorry, Mara. But maybe we can still find something."

"Yeah," Entrapta nodded. "There's always something! I'm hoping that we get to see this Castle Grayskull!"

"That would depend on a favorable reception," Hordak said. "Which is far from guaranteed."

"King Randor and Queen Marlena have always been fair and just, and I am sure that they will hear you out. But they have no jurisdiction over Castle Grayskull; it would be He-Man who would show you to Grayskull, and the Sorcererss is the one who would determine if you are worthy of access." 

The ore hauler rolled to a stop in front of a checkpoint manned by armored soldiers who had already pointed their laser rifles at the caravan. A young man stepped forward and approached them.

"In the name of Eternia, Identify yourselves," he said.

Jaxon held up his hands. "We are refugees fleeing from Skeletor's minions."

The guard looked at the others skeptically. "All of you?"

"I'm basically a refugee," Mara said.

Swift Wind stood up and stretched his wings. "I'm a horse!"

"I can see that," the guard responded dryly. "What about the rest of you?"

"Most of us defected from the Horde." Adora answered swiftly. "We were hoping to find sanctuary here."

"I suppose we'll see if that's possible." the guard said. "Pull the vehicle over to the side of the road and wait while I call the Captain of the Guard to settle this matter."

The man retreated back to the checkpoint, leaving them to their own devices.

"Hey, uh, Adora… they're not going to throw us in jail, are they?" Lonnie whispered. "Because I do not want to go back to a prison cell."

"Yeah, me either!" Scorpia held up her claws. "I mean, look at me! They'd probably put rubber bands on my claws and throw me in the high security section!

Adora held onto Scorpia's claws firmly. "Come on, let's calm down. Jaxon said that we'd get a fair chance, right? Why don't we believe him?"

Entrapta raised her hand. "Because people hate the Horde?"

Hordak nudged her. "Mind your phrasing."

“Because they despise the Horde?”

"She's right though." Lonnie gestured around them. "You've seen what Skeletor and his goons did to this place."

Scorpia's claws dug into Adora's hands. ""And Skeletor worked for the Horde."

"Well, we're not with the Horde anymore." Adora said. "And for the last time, we're going to get a fair chance!"

Swift Wind perked up and looked to the sky. "Oh hey, I hear someone!"

They looked up to see a small jetcraft descending on their location. A woman with fiery red hair emerged from the inside, with her hand resting on the pommel of her sword. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she looked them over.

"Horde soldiers," she spat. "You've got some nerve setting foot on Eternia again."

She glanced at Hordak. "Are you their commanding officer?"

He shook his head. "I am nothing. You should speak with Adora."

"That's me." Adora let go of Scorpia and straightened herself. "I'm glad to meet you, miss…?"

"Teela. You may address me as Captain Teela, or Captain. Is that clear?"

Adora nodded. "Clear."

"Good." Teela jerked her head towards the jet. "Get onboard."

Scorpia instinctively held Adora's hand again. "Where are you taking us?"

"If it were up to me, I would throw you to toil into the Prison Mines," Teela growled. "But fortunately for you, your presence has been requested at the royal court."

Jaxon smiled in relief. "You see? I told you that you would receive a fair hearing."

"I hope so." Adora shook his hand. "Take care of yourself, Jaxon."

Adora took Scorpia's arm and walked into the jet with her. The interior was cramped, but there was just enough room for everyone aside from Swift Wind, who could fly himself. Once they had settled in, Teela took off and carried them up into the sky. Adora and Scorpia held onto each other as they watched the landscape shrink and streak away under them until they set down in the courtyard of a circular domed palace.

The jet door hissed open, and they were greeted by the sight of more guards standing at attention. 

"Go on, get off," Teela growled. "And no funny business. If you try anything that might hurt the king or queen, I will gut you like a–"

"Teela, watch your tone!" An older guard made his way to the door and shook his head. "Please, they were granted an audience. There is no need to be discourteous."

"As you say, father," Teela huffed. "Then perhaps you should take them while I take this jet to the hangers."

Adora walked up to the man carefully. "Who are you?"

"I'm the Man-At-Arms to the court; an advisor and expert in military matters," he replied. "But you may call me Duncan if you prefer. Come, follow me and I will take you the rest of the way."

They followed him into the palace. It was a far more austere environment than they had expected, in keeping with the spartan aesthetic of the city. There was the sense that this place had once been magnificent, but all that was left were people living in the ruins of a greater society. In that respect, it was much like Etheria.

Duncan led them to a great hall with many guards along the walls. Teela stood at the foot of a small platform upon which King Randor and Queen Marlena sat. Adora remembered her meeting with Queen Angela and immediately knelt down before them.

"Your majesties," she said. "I know that we wear the uniforms of your enemy, but I hope you will show us mercy."

King Randor stroked his beard. "This is a most unusual and unexpected offer." 

"But far from the first time our enemies have appealed to us for refuge," Queen Marlena said. "And it would not be the first time that we have been deceived."

Adora could sense everyone tensing up behind her. "I know what you mean. I am willing to accept whatever terms you are willing to lay out. As for the others, I leave the decision up to them."

Swift Wind wrapped his wings around Adora protectively. "I'll stay with you."

"I will too," Scorpia said. "I promised Catra I'd look after you." 

"We're friends, so I guess I'm staying too." Lonnie joined the others.

Entrapta and Hordak exchanged glances.

"Your civilization is fascinating, and I'd love to study it," Entrapta said. "If you'll allow me to keep my lab partner!"

Queen Marlena scrutinized Hordak harshly as he evaded her gaze. "What an… interesting proposition."

"I will personally assume responsibility if anything happens," Adora said.

"Well, the trouble here is that if you were a Horde spy, you would gladly sacrifice yourself." King Randor stroked his beard. "This is not the first time an enemy has come before us to lay the olive branch, only to betray our trust."

"I understand what you mean," Adora sighed. "With your permission, I would like to show you something that may change your mind."

Teela drew her sword. "I swear, if you try anything, and I do mean anything…"

King Randor looked at Duncan. "Man-at-Arms, what do you say?"

All eyes in the room focused on Duncan, who stroked his moustache thoughtfully. "Why not? It's been rather quiet here since Prince Adam left on his hunting expedition."

"Father, this is no time to make light of the situation," Teela sighed. "Your majesties, as captain of the guard I advise against this. If these Horde soldiers have anything to show us, they can do it in front of someone else somewhere else."

"Your concern is noted and taken to heart, dear Teela," Queen Marlena said. "But remember that your father is our advisor."

"Understood, my liege." Teela stepped back, but kept her sword at the ready.

Adora summoned the Sword of Protection. Her reflection in the sword was full of worry. This was the moment of truth.   
  


"You got this." Scorpia gave her a tight hug. "Knock their socks off."

Adora smiled back and took in a deep breath. "For the honor of Grayskull!"

A brilliant light filled the room, and when it died down Adora was replaced by the form of She-Ra.

"I am She-Ra of Etheria," she said. "And I have come here in search of the secrets of my past. I have fought the Horde on Etheria, and will you stand against evil here, if you will have me."

The hall was silent in shock as they struggled to process the transformation.

"What is the meaning of this?" Teela spat. "Enough of your base Horde deception! You dare to abuse the honor of Grayskull and the valor of He-Man with your cheap ruse?"

"This isn't some trick," Adora said firmly. "I am She-Ra of Etheria."

Duncan stepped forward and put a hand on Teela's shoulder. "Please stay your hand, my daughter, and let our rulers decide."

"Your extraordinary request will need some time for consideration," King Randor said slowly. "Would you kindly wait in one of the drawing rooms while we discuss this?"

The golden glow vanished and Adora stood before them once again. "I am grateful for your hospitality."

The Etherians left under escort from the guard, while Teela, Duncan, and their rulers remained behind. They found themselves guided to a sunny drawing room 

"What a day." King Randor stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Duncan, have you ever seen anything like it?"

Duncan briefly exchanged glances with Queen Marlena before he answered. "Never in all my years have I seen such a transformation."

"That would be because this is foul Horde techno-sorcery," Teela huffed. "Why are we even entertaining this rabble?"

"Because, dear Teela, there is often more than meets the eye," Queen Marlena glanced at Duncan. "Man-at-Arms, what is your opinion on what we should do?"

"I think that their claims certainly brook further investigation. If Adora is willing to help, then who are we to refuse? The shadow of Skeletor's army grows by the day, and He-Man cannot win this war by himself."

"Especially since my indolent son cannot seem to grow into his station," King Randor sighed. "Perhaps with this She-Ra around, he might learn to do better. Especially since he never seems to be around when He-Man shows up!"

"Right you are," Duncan said. "In that case, do I have your permission to put Adora to the test?"

Randor nodded. "Granted. And I hope that you are right, Duncan. It would be a much needed ray of light in the midst of a long, dark night."


	5. Beyond The Stars And Far Away

Certain aspects of society never changed, regardless if you were on a planet that had been sealed away from the rest of the universe for a thousand years or in deep space. The local scum always found a place to congregate and do their dirty business far from prying eyes. 

The  _ Pride of Plun-Darr _ looked to be nothing more than a collection of wrecked space vessels cobbled together around a large asteroid, floating between the moons of the Plun-Darr system with a vast reitune of pirate ships in tow. It was decorated with a sprawling array of graffiti boasting about the many daring (and obscene) deeds of its inhabitants, occasionally broken up by strings of vacuum dessicated corpses hanging on the structure. It rather reminded Catra of the Crimson Waste, though even those lawless thugs were less savage than this space station appeared to be.

Tybalt brought their light freighter into one of the asteroid's deeper craters and into a landing bay carved out of the rock. A forcefield sprang up behind them as air slowly filled the bay until it was safe for them to leave. Catra bounced her way over to the exit ramp in the low gravity of the station and found Tybalt waiting for her with a pair of boots. 

"I'll pass," Catra said. "Not my thing. Besides, those look terribly unfashionable."

"Don't want to float off if this station's gravity generator shorts out – and given how pirates can never be trusted to look after their equipment probably, that's pretty likely."

"I'll take my chances, thanks."

"Alright, but I'm not paying if you get your toes crushed by falling debris."

"Lead on, Tiger."

Catra followed him out of the ship and kept her eyes open in her new surroundings. The ramshackle pirate station reminded her of the Fright Zone, but far less desolate. Instead of monotonous industrial humming, she could hear bickering, laughter, dancing, and fighting throughout the station. 

"Damn, I wish we had more time to spend here," Catra chuckled. "Reminds me of a place back home, the Crimson Waste."

She swiveled her ears around and caught a snatch of a raucous song.

_ In the year of 1673, the Orion Wars begun _

_ Thundera had the biggest ship that had the biggest guns _

_ The Lioness was the fastest ship that ever saw the stars _

_ Her hull had guns as big as mountains that blazed like quasars _

_ Out of a bright starry nebula came the pirate Bonaparte _

_ And every member of his crew knew it in their heart _

_ They had to sink the Lioness, the terror of the stars _

_ Stop those guns as big as mountains that blazed like quasars _

_ We'll find that battleship a-making such a fuss _

_ We gotta sink that dreadnought, for Plun-Darr depends on us _

_ Hit the decks a-runnin' lads and spin those guns around _

_ When we find the Lioness we gotta cut her down _

_ Bonapate found the Lioness, and on that fateful day _

_ The Lioness started firin' from fifty leagues away _

_ "We gotta sink the Lioness" was the battle cry _

_ But when the weapon fire cleared away _

_ Bonaparte did die _

Tybals hand rested on his pistol as he looked around for the singer. 

"Hey, I want to listen! It was getting interesting."

_ For six long days and weary nights they tried to find her trail _

_ Atilla told his people "Put every ship a-sail" _

_ 'Cause somewhere on that ocean I know she's gotta be _

_ We gotta send the Lioness to the depths of history _

_ We'll find that Thunderan ship a-making such a fuss _

_ We gotta sink that dreadnought, for Plun-darr depends on us _

_ Hit the decks a-runnin' lads and spin those guns around _

_ When we find the Lioness we gotta cut her down _

_ On the seventh day the game was up, and under a yellow sun _

_ Ten parsecs from Thundera, the Lioness made her run _

_ The admiral of the pirate fleet said "Turn those bows around" _

_ We found that battleship and we're gonna cut her down _

_ The dreadnought's guns were firing and beams were comin' fast _

_ But when a missile hit the Lioness, they knew she couldn't last _

_ Now that mighty dreadnought is but a memory _

_ "Sink the Lioness" was the battle cry that echoed through the galaxy _

Tybalt rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't get too comfortable, as you may have noticed, the mutants here hate us."

How'd you end up losing a battleship to them?"

"Overconfident naval commanders took the first ship with portal technology far behind enemy lines to take out a pirate fleet, but got stranded far behind enemy lines."

"And you're still sore about it?"

"Oh, I suppose not. That was decades ago, and a pretty minor incident in the grand scheme of things. The Mutants attacked the original Thunderan refugees when they escaped their dying homeworld and forced them far off course to Third Earth. Then the mutants followed looking for easy prey and found Mumm-Ra, who they decided to swear allegiance to. So we've been at each other's throats for the past few centuries. It died down a bit after Mumm-Ra got himself banished, but things have picked up now that Thundera is expanding through the Gould Belt."

"Sounds like this is the last place you'd want to come looking for information."

"Believe me, no one else would; if it wasn't for a few chance encounters when I was younger, in the maritime commandos, and much dumber, I wouldn't either."

They stepped out of the docking bay and into the station proper. The raucous din around them died out in an instant as the dizzying array of mutants around them glared with open hostility. A crocodile-like mutant spat in their direction; it landed in front of Catra and nearly stained her feet.

"And what are you looking at?" Catra extended her claws. "Mind your own business or you might get a whole lot uglier."

Tybalt unbuttoned the clasp holding his pistol in its holster. "Catra? What are you doing?"

"Little kitty's looking to get spayed." The crocodile snapped as he came to the forefront of the crowd.

Tybalt promptly stepped in front of him. "I apologize for my partner. She's been–"

The crocodile slapped him aside with a blow from his tail. "Stay out of it."

He stumbled into a pile of shipping crates as the crocodile focused his attention back onto Catra. "You got some nerve walking into our station like you own the place. What's the matter, things weren't good enough for you on Third Earth?"

"What can I say? This is more my style." 

Catra crouched down low as a ring formed around the two of them. Many of the mutants began chanting for a fight as others placed bets on the outcome. The crocodile roared and charged forwards at Catra, who slid between his legs. He turned around to face her and saw that she was holding a belt in her hands.

"Drop something?"

Laughter echoed through the impromptu arena as the crocodile's pants dropped down to his ankles. He ripped them to shreds with his claws and lunged for Catra with his mouth open, but his jaws closed on empty air as she dodged to the side. She wrapped the belt around his snout and tightened it in one swift motion before she delivered a hard kick to the back of his knee that sent him flying into the ground. As he fell, he swept his tail around and knocked Catra's legs out from under her. She landed next to him and he reached for her neck as she brought her claws up to his face.

A brilliant green burst of light filled the hallway, followed by a wave of heat that left behind the distinctive smell of ozone. Both fighters froze as a blonde jackal wearing a bright red tricorn hat walked up to them with a double bladed scimitar in her paws.

"Break it up," she growled. "Let's call it a draw before you lose any more of your dignity, Ghari."

Ghari tore off the belt and snapped back at her. "Like hell, Quartermaster! You know the rules, no one interferes in a duel–" 

The jackal shoved the scimitar's hot blade into the crocodile's stomach. "Did I stutter?"

"I'm going! I'm going!" Ghari disappeared down the hallway 

Tybalt stepped forward to help Catra up. "Ah, Victoria. As pleasant as always, I see."

She trained the rifle on him. "Tybalt, I've half a mind to liquidate you for causing trouble on this station."

"Back off, lady." Catra stood tall and looked her in the eyes. "I started the fight."

"Please tell me you're not his girlfriend," Victoria groaned. "The last thing this galaxy needs are more little blue-bloods running around."

"I'll thank you to leave my family out of this."

"You keep the name, you keep the blame."

Catra held her hands up. "Look, if you're not going to vaporize us, then maybe you could let us go?"

"Shut up." Victoria jabbed the point of her sword into Catra's ribs. "You two turn around and march into that elevator over there."

The elevator zipped through the station and opened up into the foyer of a penthouse apartment. Although there was ample room, the apartment was sparsely furnished; most of the space was taken up by an impressive collection of weapons and armor. Catra threw herself on a nearby couch and was joined by Tybalt after a moment's hesitation. Victoria pulled up a chair, but kept her sword at the ready. 

"So, what are you two doing here?"

"Tracking down Cyrus Blackmane at the behest of the Military Intelligence Directorate," Tybalt said.

"Hm. That means you re-enlisted. Funny, I thought you'd have gotten a job in your family's fleet by now, or maybe the High Command would have appointed you as a senator in one of the cushier colonies." Victoria chuckled.

"Family fleet?" Catra looked between the two of them curiously.

"He didn't tell you? The di Leonne clan runs the largest merchant fleet in the Thunderan Star Republic. They've even got their own private academy on the moon for the exclusive use of clan members. Last I heard, graduating was considered the equivalent of a commissioned officer's training in the Republic navy?" She twirled her double-bladed scimitar above her head. "I'd bet my sword that he's involved in this operation because the  _ Belladonna  _ was slated to go to his family before it was stolen. Normally they'd send in a kill-team to sort things out, but I'm guessing your family lost confidence in the military after they embarrassed themselves and asked for one of their own to do it? Can't think of any other reason why a codebreaker would be on the case."

"You know full well that I was a maritime commando before I went into cryptography," Tybalt snapped. 

"How could I forget? You nearly took my head off with a plasma cannon when we first met."

"As entertaining as this reminiscing is," Catra said, "We have a job. Can you help us find Blackmane or not?"

"What, out of the goodness of my heart?" Victoria snorted. "I don't have any reason to help you."

Catra frowned. "You know Cyrus is working for the Horde, right? They're not going to give free reign to pirates after they roll in."

Victoria regarded Catra haughtily. "The mutants have survived for thousands of years; the Thunderans couldn't best us on the Shoulder of Orion or the Battle for Antares."

"I don't remember those being great victories for the Mutants either," Tybalt said.

"We survived nonetheless, as we always have. As we always will."

"You won't survive against the Horde," Catra said. "It's bigger than you can imagine. Horde Prime rules entire galaxies, and his war machine runs on a limitless stream of resources. He'll march up here with an army one day, assimilate what he can, and destroy what he can't."

"And what would you know about it, kitten?"

Catra glanced at Tybalt and swallowed nervously. "Because it's what he did to my home. It's what he did to me. I never even knew my parents."

"You were an orphan?" Tybalt asked with sympathy.

"More like cadet…"

Tybalt's fur stood on end. "You're a Horde soldier?"

"I  _ was _ an officer. I've been on the run after betraying them. It's been a hell of a ride." Catra looked at him nervously. "Is that… is that going to be a problem?"

"Considering that Thundera has been greeting up against Horde aggression for the past few decades? Yes, it is a huge problem," Tybalt snapped.

"But I'm not part of the Horde anymore! Look, I just told you-"

"People have done more to gain my trust for lower stakes." Tybalt stood up abruptly. "Victoria, it's been a pleasure as always. I'll show myself out."

"Wait, what about-" Catra was cut off abruptly as the elevator door slammed shut in her face. "I don't believe it! He ditched me!

"Welcome to the club." Victoria broke out a set of glassware and a bottle of some amber colored liquid. "Can I get you a drink?"

Catra's ears flattened against her skull. "Yeah. Sure."

Victoria poured Catra a generous amount of liquid. Catra drank it in one gulp, and coughed as it burned her throat on its way down.

"What the hell was that?" Catra sputtered.

"Oh, that's right. The Horde feeds you hydration packs and ration bars."

Victoria's face grew blurry as Catra's vision swam. "You… you poisoned me!"

"Eh, it's what passes for fun around here." Victoria downed a glass of her own and propped her feet up on the table. "So how did a Horde officer like you wind up with him?"

"I wanted to find out where I came from," Catra sighed. "And this mission was supposed to be my way in."

"Well, don't feel too bad about it, New Thundera doesn't have any soul; It's all tidy streets and neat lines there. Now, this place? This is where things happen."

"Is that an invitation?"

"You seem like you'd be useful. There's always room out here for a gal who's willing to do what it takes to make her way."

"I'm flattered, but becoming a pirate isn't what I had in mind. No offense."

"Eh, I've been rejected before." Victoria poured herself another glass. 

"As long as we're here, can you fill me in on your deal with Tybalt? You two seem like you have a history."

"It was a long time ago, when I was a young pirate trying to make a name for myself, and he had just joined the Republic navy out of a misguided desire to do good and help people. We had a pretty wild time together, but that's ancient history now."

"You seem like you've hurt each other."

"Yeah, you could say that. I'm not proud of everything I did."

"I know how you feel." Catra swirled the alcohol around in her glass. "It eats away at me sometimes. I guess that's part of the reason I'm out here by myself; it got too painful being around the people I hurt."

"Well if you're looking for a nice and accepting crowd, you won't find it on Third-Earth. Bunch of uptight, judgemental bastards..." She polished off her glass and slammed it down on the table. "What, you got no other options?"

"I could go back, it just doesn't feel right. Like they'd be better off without me."

"Sounds more like you're afraid of hurting them again."

"Shouldn't I be?"

"Of course you should be. You'd have to be a real asshole to hurt your friends. But running away from the problem doesn't make up for the damage you've done, and don't you owe it to them to at least make up for it?"

Victoria looked down at her empty glass. "I mean, at least that's what I think. Sometimes. When I've had too much to drink at night."

Catra cocked her head. "You have those thoughts often?"

"On and off, for the past few years," Victoria sighed. "I did a lot of things to get here and to have this sword. I'm not proud of all of them."

"Maybe you'd feel better if you tried to make up for it?"

"Would you?"

"I… don't know."

"Me neither. Call me washed up, but I tend to stick to what I know these days."

"Do you think that's the way things have to be? Do the mistakes we made define us?"

"Well, if you ask me, you are the sum total of all your past experiences, aren't you?"

Catra's ears dropped as she looked down at her hands. "Can we be more than that in the future?"

A heavy silence hung in the air for several long minutes before she stood up abruptly and walked out of her apartment. Catra followed her nervously as they left the penthouse. They arrived just as Tybalt was giving his ship a final inspection before departing. He quickly turned away when he saw them enter, but Victoria quickly reached out and grabbed him by the wrist.

"Tybalt… hey, come on. Do I at least get to say something before you leave?" 

He crossed his arms. "What is it?"

"I know where Cyrus is, and I'd like to tell you. Think of it as an apology. But I want you to give the girl a fair shake, ok?"

He looked over at Catra harshly. "Her? How can I trust her?."

"Look, Tybalt… I should have told you, but I was afraid you'd react… well, like you did…"

His expression softened slightly. "I can see that. I apologize for not giving you a chance to explain yourself, but even so, I don't know where your loyalties lie."

"I… I've had to figure that out myself," Catra said. "But it sure isn't with the Horde. They've been taking advantage of me all my life; they kidnapped me as a baby, put me under the care of a literal witch, and never treated me as anything more than a tool. We've got the same goals right now; why can't we work together?"

Tybalt slowly extended his hand. "Alright. I can accept that."

"About time," Victoria muttered.

  
"I… thanks." Catra shook his hand stiffly.

He looked over at Victoria. "Of course, we still need information…"

Victoria plugged the datapad into a nearby computer. "I'll send you Blackmane's current coordinates, but I sure hope you have a plan to deal with him. That battlecruiser of his could blow you out of the water in half a second if he thought you were up to something."

"I think I just might." Catra said. "After all, I'm probably still listed as a Horde officer. That gives us options."


	6. Escape From Snake Mountain

Adora clutched the Sword of Protection nervously as she waited for the royal verdict to arrive. She was tantalizingly close to learning about her past, but if they did not believe her, then it would all be for nothing. She glanced over at the others. They were taking it better than her; Scorpia and Lonnie were catching up after their separation, and Entrapta was busy examining every Eternian artifact in the room with Hordak. Mara sat on a windowsill, silent as always and gazing out over the distance.

"A penny for your thoughts, Adora?" Swift Wind nudged her. "You've been keeping to yourself for a while."

"It's just a lot, you know? We're so close, but it's all outside of our control. As far as they're concerned, we're members of the Horde. We might even be thrown into some oubliette and left to rot!"

"That's a little extreme, isn't it?" Swift Wind said. "They seem like nice people…"

"Even nice people can change under the right conditions," Adora sighed. "I mean, look at Catra…"

"She never seemed nice to me."

"It was different when we were kids. Before all this."

"Well, I wouldn't give Shadow Weaver a prize for parenting, that's for sure. Good thing she's out of the way." Swift Wind said. "Cheer up, at least you'll find out what the court decided soon."

"How do you know that?

"Because I can hear someone coming."

There was a loud knock before the door to the room opened and revealed Duncan. 

"How have all of you been?" He asked kindly.

"We've been enjoying your hospitality," Adora said. "I… I hope you'll allow us to continue doing so?"

"We'll see. The king has allowed me to judge your worthiness." Duncan shut the door firmly behind him. "Time is short, so I will be blunt: you have come at a dire time. Skeletor's shadow grows longer by the day. We have already lost many stalwart soldiers and dear friends in battle, and I have word that his minions have captured our greatest hero, He-Man."

Adora raised an eyebrow. "How do you know?" 

"Yeah," Scorpia added. "The last we heard, He-Man freed a bunch of slaves and was kicking ass!"

"I have my sources," Duncan said. "He-Man is in trouble, and I would like to offer you all a chance to prove yourselves by helping me rescue him."

Adora looked over at Mara, and then to Entrapta and Hordak. "But not all of us are warriors."

"If you prove yourselves, then I will accept whoever you vouch for. You have my word as the Man-At-Arms of the royal court."

"Then I'm in." Adora raised the Sword of Protection and transformed into She-Ra. "Anyone else?"

Scorpia cracked her neck. "I'm right behind you, Adora!"

"It sounds better than waiting here," Lonnie said. "But I hope you know what you're doing, Adora."

* * *

  
  


Duncan flew his ship through the evening skies as towards Snake Mountain. Even from many thousands of feet in the air, the evil lair dominated the landscape. Molten lava poured out of its jaws, like the mountain was a living thing ready to breathe fire on its enemies at a moment's notice. He looked behind himself to see how the Etherians were doing; Adora, and Scorpia were pouring over maps of Skeletor's territory while Lonnie familiarized herself with one of Duncan's laser rifles.

"I can't believe some of these henchmen." Adora flipped through a folder of Skeletor's minions. "Trapjaw? Triclops? Clawful?"

"Nasty pieces of work, every one of them," Duncan said. "And Evil-Lyn is the worst of the lot. I swear the Evil Warriors do better when she's leading them than Skeletor!"

"That doesn't surprise me," Lonnie said. "Skeletor seemed really mean, but not bright."

"You have the misfortune of knowing him too?"

"We fought him," Scorpia quickly added. "It was pretty rough, but Shadow Weaver – our boss in the Horde – cast a spell on some friends of ours that ended up backfiring, and it dragged them into a… shadowy realm of some sort."

Duncan nodded. "That sounds like something that would happen to Skeletor. Shame he always crawls back to Snake Mountain one way or the other."

Adora gripped the Sword of Protection nervously. "You think he'll be there?"

"So far, all signs point to Evil-Lyn still being in command. But I expect we'll find out soon enough." Duncan tapped on the radar screen. "We'll be within sensor range shortly. Time to activate the invisibility field."

He flipped a switch and the air shimmered in front of the craft for a moment before turning pitch black.

"What happened?" Scorpia gasped.

"The invisibility field has warped electro-magnetic radiation around us so that we can't be seen," Duncan said. "That should let us sneak up on Snake Mountain without being detected."

"How will you know when we're there?"

"Well, we can selectively allow certain wavelengths through." Duncan pointed to his instrument panel. "You see? The computer can read the ground below us with microwave imaging."

The computer showed the outline of a mountain, encircled by the giant statue of a snake with its fangs bared. A stream of lava poured out of the mouth, which gave the impression that the snake was ready to breathe fire on trespassers.

Scorpia let out a low whistle. "I wonder if he and Hordak have the same home decorator."

"It used to belong to the Snake-Men, but then they were driven out by Horde and the mountain was given to Skeletor in exchange for him helping the Horde on Eternia." Duncan said.

"Is that how you learned about the secret passages running through the mountain?"

"We have our ways," Duncan chuckled.

He landed on a rocky outcropping on the side of the mountain, barely large enough for the craft. The door swung open and they poured out in a defensive position. Several tense minutes passed before they concluded that they had indeed arrived unnoticed. Duncan reached for a hidden switch and pressed it; the rock wall rumbled for a moment, but remained stubbornly shut.

"Curses, they must have disabled it," he muttered under his breath. "We'll have to find a work around!"

Adora brushed her hand against the face of the mountain and felt the stone. "Let me try. If it's a solid stone door, I might be able to lift it."

She reached down and dug her fingers into the rocky protrusions on the wall, and pulled up with slow, steady force. Hidden mechanisms creaked and groaned as she gradually raised the secret door, until there was enough space for them all to slip through.

"I've seldom seen such strength," Duncan said once Adora had released the door and come through to the other side.

"It's a pretty good perk," Adora grinned. "Come on, let's punch some bad guys!"

Scorpia pumped her claws in the air. "Yeah! Physical therapy time!"

"Shouldn't we focus on extracting the target first?" Lonnie whispered.

"I don't mean to put a damper on things, but Lonnie is correct," Duncan said. "We'll stand a better chance of getting out of here if we all fight together!"

"Can't argue with that," Adora shrugged. "Let's get down to the dungeons."

They crept through the dark tunnels of Snake Mountain in single file. Lonnie and Scorpia followed Adora seamlessly, as if they had never left the Horde. They crept along until Adora raised her fist abruptly; footsteps echoed ahead of them as two figures walked into view. Adora motioned for them to hide as the patrol approached.

"I can't believe we've finally captured He-Man, only for Evil-Lyn to do nothing to him! Not even a little bit of torture! Strongarm, you see how unfair this is, don't you?"

"Be quiet, Whiplash," the other one grumbled. "I've had enough of He-Man these past few years to last me a lifetime! Can't we just forget about him and let him rot in the dungeons? We've nearly won this war, and I don't want your whining to spoil my good mood!"

Adora waited for them to pass by before wapping Whiplash on the shoulder. "Excuse me, where did you say He-Man was?"

"Oh, down the hall and to the left," Whiplash said. "Hey, who are-"

She cut him off with a swift uppercut to his jaw, which dropped him like a sack of rocks. Strong Arm drew back his first to punch her, only for Lonnie to ram him into the wall and hold him still so Scorpia could bury her stinger in his stomach. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as her paralyzing venom coursed through his veins, and she dropped him on top of Whiplash.

"Marvellously efficient work, friends." Duncan stepped forward and patted Whiplash and Strongarm down until he found a set of keys. "This should do the trick! Follow me and be on your guard."

The tunnel led down into the dungeons of Snake Mountain, where only a few unfortunate souls had ever been. Adora held the Sword of Protection like a torch and let it guide them through forgotten passages and oubliettes until they came to a heavy door in the deepest section. Duncan took out the keys and tried them one by one until the door sprang open.

Inside they found a muscular man bound on a table. He looked at them with a surprise that turned to joy as Duncan rushed over to hug him.

"I knew you could come sooner or later," Adam said. "But who have you brought with you?"

"Some travellers arrived just in time to help us, He-Man, but we can talk about that later. Right now, we need to get you out of these heavy chains!"

"I'm on it." Adora lifted the Sword of Protection and cleaved the chains with one swift stroke. "There we go!"

Ada, cracked his neck. "My thanks to you, brave strangers, but I cannot leave while the Sword of Power is in Evil-Lyn's hands! She has kept it by her side in Skeletor's throne room ever since I was captured." 

Scorpia grinned. "Will it involve beating up Skeletor's henchmen?" 

"Because I think I owe him some payback," Lonnie cracked her knuckles. "With interest."

"All that he has," Adam replied. "And I'm not in a particularly merciful mood at the moment."

"Well, why not?" Duncan chuckled. "We have an opportunity now the likes of which has seldom presented itself."

"Then let's go! I don't want that woman holding my sword for a moment longer than necessary!"

They followed Adam as he determinedly walked out of the dungeon and up to Skeletor's throne room. There was an ornate set of doors to keep intruders out; they reached up to the ceiling and were wrought of some heavy metal alloy. Adam raised a leg and kicked them down in one swift motion. They fell to reveal the Evil Warriors gathered around Evil-Lyn, who was sitting on Skeletor's throne above them on a dias, surrounded by a river of lava. 

"Hello there," Adam said. "I believe you have something of mine."

"It's yours no longer, He-Fool!" Evil-Lyn cackled as she held the Sword of Power up high. "Come take it, if you can!"

"I don't doubt he can." Adora stepped into view behind Adam. "And if he can't, I will."

"You! Here? But how?" Evil-Lyn sputtered. "No matter! You've merely made the task of re-uniting the swords easier by handing yourself over on a silver platter! Get them, you mindless minions!"

Trap-Jaw stepped forward and leveled a laser cannon at him, but Adam responded by picking up the shattered door and holding it in front of him like a shield. The metal glowed a vibrant shade of orange as Adam threw the searing door into him, pinning Trap-Jaw to the ground.

"I've got you, Trap-Jaw!" Clawful grabbed the door with his claws and fling it back at the group like a shard of explosive shrapnel. Adora stepped forward as the door spun through the air and swung her sword upwards. The slash split the projectile in two halves that flew past the group harmlessly.

Scorpia ducked under one half as she tackled Clawful around the waist and threw him Evil-Lyn. The witch promptly knocked Clawful aside with a magical blast, before training her wand on Scorpia. A stream of firebolts flew through the air and Scorpia was forced to dodge behind a pillar.

"She's suppressing us," Adora shouted. "Lonnie, get on it!"

Lonnie knelt down on the ground and aimed her laser rifle at Evil-Lyn. A laser beam split one of the firebolts right as it left Evil-Lyn's wand, causing it to explode and knock her off of the dias. She tumbled off of the platform and landed in a heap on the floor. The Sword of Protection clanged on the floor as it landed inches from her; she reached out for it but was cut off when Adam's foot came down between her and the sword.

"Skeletor would have done better," Adam taunted as he towered over her. "It's been a pleasure as always, Evil-Lyn." 

Adam picked up the sword and swung it the dias in one swift motion. The support for Skeletor's throne cracked and toppled over on Evil-lyn. Evil-Lyn teleported herself out of the way and reappeared at the entrance to the throne room, where she began conjuring a magic circle on the floor.

"I'll get you for this, you muscle-bound dolt!" She thundered. "You haven't seen anything until you've seen my-"

She was cut off by a deafening explosion as the roof caved in on her to reveal Ducan piloting the jet-craft. The vehicle hovered over the opening it had just made and lowered a rope ladder.

"Get in," he shouted over the speakers.

"Well, I suppose mopping up this sorry mess will have to wait for another day." Adam grabbed onto the ladder and motioned towards the others. "Come on! I think we're done crashing this party!"

The jet engines roared as they climbed up the rope ladder as the throne room crumbled under its own weight. Adam helped everyone into the cabin and drew up the ladder behind them when all was done.

"There we go," he said. "Well, as much fun as payback was, I've been away from home for too long."

"Is your home Castle Grayskull?" Adora asked. "If so, we've come a long way to visit it."

"Many have, and often with ignoble intentions." Adam regarded Adora carefully. "But I can see by your deeds that you have a good heart. What do you seek in Castle Grayskull?"

Adora presented the Sword of Protection to him. "My sword chose me to fight for the honor of Grayskull."

"How curious; I have a similar sword and story," Adam said. "For the Sword of Power grants the wielder access to Castle Grayskull."

Scorpia looked at the two of them carefully. "Wait, hold on. Adora transforms into She-Ra when she uses the sword; does that mean He-Man is not your real identity?"

Adam nearly dropped his sword. "I… well, that is quite the deduction. Yes, I suppose that would be reasonable to assume, but I keep that a closely guarded secret due to the possible repercussions."

"I see… I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry, but…" Scorpia began massaging her temples. "I'm sorry, I'm just thinking…"

"Well, I suppose I can't stop you from doing that," Adam sighed. "If you have anything to say, you might as well say it. Rumor and speculation are more damaging than truth."

"Right, right, I'm sorry, I just remember King Randor mentioning that his son had been missing for the past few days… which is about how long you've been captured based on what we heard from some slaves you freed."

"That is certainly an interesting coincidence," Adam said.

Duncan coughed pointedly from the pilot's seat. "He-Man, if what Miss Adora says is true, then you two may be players in the same game. Perhaps you would care to be more forthcoming?"

Adam raised the Sword of Power above his head, and in a flash of light turned into a young man in early adulthood, whose regal bearing made up for his loss of physical strength and stature.

"Yes," he said. "I am Prince Adam of Eternia. Fabulous secret powers were revealed to me on my 16th birthday, when the Sorceress told me that I would be chosen to become the protector of Eternia and defender of Castle Grayskull."

"Ok, wow," Lonnie said. "I am actually impressed that Scorpia got that."

"Thanks, Lonnie!" Scorpia smiled, then abruptly narrowed her eyes. "Wait, what do you mean 'you're surprised'?"

They were interrupted by another flash of light as Adora powered down as well. "Hey, uh… good to meet you, Prince Adam. I'm Adora."

He reached out and shook her hand. "The pleasure is mine. We evidently have much to talk about. Perhaps we should make a detour before we return to Eternos."

Duncan pulled up a map of the continent on his computer. "To Castle Grayskull?"

"My thoughts exactly, old friend," Adam said. "I think it is time for a meeting with the Sorceress."

  
The ship veered to the side and changed course for the forest near Eternos Adora held her breath as an ancient stone castle came into view below them, hidden in the Evergreen Forest. It was perched like a skull on a pillar of rock in the middle of a vast chasm that seemed to have been carved around it., either by the tireless hand of nature or some cataclysmic act of destruction.

They landed on the opposite side of the abyss, and Adam raised his sword to activate the drawbridge, which dropped from the mouth of the castle in a way that reminded Adora of a tongue. Adam crossed first and led the others through the main chamber and up to the throne room, where a woman dressed like a falcon stood waiting for them. The hair on the back of Adora's neck stood up as the Sorceress laid eyes on them, and she unconsciously tightened her grasp on the Sword of Protection. She seemed very different from Light Hope, but that was no guarantee.

"Welcome, friends of He-Man," the Sorceress said. "And welcome back, Princess Adora."

""Back?" Adora raised an eyebrow. "I've never been here before in my life."

"Not to Castle Grayskull, but I remember the day you were born." The Sorceress waved her hand and the room around them was replaced by the city streets of Eternos, lit by flames and darkened with smoke. "It was two decades ago, when Skeletor learned that Queen Marlena was due to give birth."

Adam looked around in surprise. "But what does it have to do with Adora? This is my story. My parents have told me about that day many times."

"Your parents are wonderful people, Adam, but they did not tell you everything."

The scene shifted to the Royal Palace, where King Randor was helping his wife out of their royal bed. Explosions rocked the palace, but Queen Marlena was unphased as she held two infants in her arms.

"I have a twin?" Adam gasped.

"One separated from you soon after birth." They watched as Queen Marlena stepped onto the platform of a teleportation device and vanished in a flash of light. "Queen Marlena made it to their safehouse, but the teleporter malfunctioned and only one of the children arrived with her. We thought it was just a tragic mishap, but I sensed a presence I had not felt in many years when Adora set foot on Eternia, and I knew she was the infant we lost so long ago."

"So… you're my brother?" Adora felt her heart pounding in her chest as she looked at Adam. "I'm royalty? This is where I'm from? Are we all First Ones?" She held the Sword of Protection up before her. "Is that why I can use the sword?"

"First Ones. Yes, their name could be translated as such," the Sorceress said. "We call them Ancients here on Eternia. But yes, you and your brother are their descendents – in a manner of speaking."

"My father has Ancient blood in his veins?" Adam gasped. "The line of King Grayskull came from the Ancients themselves?"

"Your father? No, as great a man as he is, and as his ancestors were, they were Eternians. II refer to your mother, whose people eventually became the Ancients."

"Queen Marlena?" Adora only saw her briefly, but she did not appear different from anyone else. Then again, Adora was aware that she herself hardly stood out as a member of a precursor race...

Adam appeared equally mystified. "But Sorceress, my mother is from Earth!"

"To be more specific, she is from First Earth, the earth of many eons ago. In the time it took her to travel to Eternia, the galaxy changed a great deal." The Sorceress gave a wry half-smile. "Relativistic time dilation can have quite interesting effects."

Adam looked down at his sword. "So is the only reason I can use this because of my mother?"

"Adam, you are a fine young man, but I cannot override many of the ancient technologies here in Castle Grayskull that were gene-locked by their creators. I am but a humble Sorceress who took stewardship of Castle Grayskull and its secrets long ago."

"Then can you help us fight against Horde Prime?" 

"I would do all that I can in order to fight the scourge of evil among the stars. What do you need?"

"We need some way to find Horde Prime," Adora said. "He's holding my planet hostage, and has taken many people I care about prisoner."

"A difficult task. Horde Prime is never unprotected, and many of his defenses are designed to negate teleportation. With Adam's help, I could perhaps use the power of Castle Grayskull to send you close to him, but without a means of surviving the vacuum of space, I would be forced to place you on the nearest Horde planet."

Adam's face lit up. "But we have a spaceship! My mother's old exploration vessel is still in the castle!"

"Do you think we could use it?" Adora asked.

"I'm sure it could be brought back to working order," Adam said. "And if the situation is as dire as you say, we cannot afford to wait long. I suggest you go back with Duncan to break the news to my parents while I make my own way back as Prince Adam."   
  


Adora wrapped her arms around him tightly. "Thank you… brother."

"Well, what's family for?" Adam chuckled.


	7. Sow The Wind

"You haven't touched your dinner."

Horde Voxx watched Glimmer from the head of their ornate dining table. The cooks aboard the _Amphion_ had spared no expense in preparing a meal fit for royalty, one that Voxx hoped would coax Glimmer's appetite back. 

"Why are you doing this?" Glimmer sighed.

"As I said, you are our esteemed guest. Horde Prime has great plans for Etheria, and I'm sure you'd rather be part of them?"

"Yes, yes, it's good to feel welcome," Double Trouble said as they determinedly worked their way through the meal in what Voxx could only assume was an attempt at singlehandedly consuming as much of the Horde's resources as possible out of spite.

Glimmer looked out at the countless stars outside the window. "If the Horde controls such a vast empire, what does it want with Etheria?"

"There is much about your own planet that you do not know," Voxx said. "Horde Prime has learned much of the First Ones, and has been searching for Etheria for quite some time. It was this knowledge that drove Hordak to foolishly search for your planet in an attempt to conquer it for himself."

"I thought Hordak wanted to present Etheria to Horde Prime?"

"Nonsense. That may have been what he said, but who would search for an ancient superweapon weapon only to give it up willingly? Especially a disgraced general with every reason to wish for revenge."

"So that's what Horde Prime sees Etheria as? A weapon?"

"Etheria is a weapon, at its very core. And I mean that quite literally; your entire planet was transformed into one by First Ones desperate to stop the Horde from conquering the Milky Way. Fortunately, it never worked and Horde Prime was able to bring his rule to this corner of the universe."

Glimmer clenched her hands into tight fists. "How very fortunate."

"Come now, Princess," Voxx said. "Even the smallest cog in a machine is of great value."

"Parts are not valued any further than they are useful; when they are worn out they get thrown away and replaced." Glimmer said. "I don't doubt the Horde keeps them well oiled, but there is no dignity in being a gear."

"What higher purpose can there be in life than to serve a cause greater than oneself? There are worlds who live in what you might consider comfort, but which is nothing more that decadence. There is no purpose in existing simply to have a good time."

"But expansion for the sake of expansion - because that's what this has become - is equally as pointless," Glimmer said. "You conquer others because you're afraid that one day someone will try to conquer you. But this just makes you more enemies, who you now have to conquer. None of this is necessary; you could, I don't know, make friends! Form alliances! There's no need for all this war!"

"The Horde has crushed many such alliances among the stars, Glimmer. Friendship means nothing in the face of an orbital bombardment. And even if we chose to put away the sword, Nature abhors a vacuum and someone else would inevitably take it up. As such, it is better to conquer than to be conquered. You should be glad that we're willing to offer you terms when we do not need to grant any concessions at all."

"What are your terms?" Glimmer whispered.

"That you swear loyalty to Horde Prime, of course, and cooperate with him as he unlocks the secrets of Etheria so he may use it to further cement his rule."

Glimmer gestures to the many cruisers outside the window. "You want me to go along with this?" 

"Resistance is futile, Glimmer. Horde Prime will make use of Etheria with or without you; for your sake, it's better if he needs you."

"So the choice is to be destroyed, or become a party in the destruction of others?"

Voxx shook her head. "A false dichotomy: you leave out the possibility that Horde Prime would be able to intimidate others into surrendering with an unstoppable superweapon under his command. This would allow you to help save lives that would otherwise be lost, for the Horde will always grow and conquer new territories. It's up to you how that plays out."

Voxx pushed her chair away from the table. "Please consider the offer while I report to Horde Prime. I hope that you will have good news for him soon."

Double Trouble leaned back as Voxx left them alone. "So… what are you thinking?"

"I don't see how we have a choice," Glimmer sighed. "We don't have a way of contending with the Horde, and I can't sacrifice the people of my Kingdom that I'm sworn to protect. If it was just me, I might be willing to… to do what was necessary, but if Horde Prime truly can proceed without us, then it wouldn't mean anything."

"So… we're going to collaborate, then?"

Glimmer rested her head on the table and wrapped her arms around her face to hide her tears. "I… I guess so."

Double Trouble frowned, but said nothing as a heavy silence descended on the room.

* * *

The night sky above Etheria was filled with a dazzling array of stars now that it had been brought out of Despondos. The beauty of the universe was only tarnished by the knowledge that many of the points of light were Horde ships, looming over Etheria to enforce Horde Prime's will. An eternal reminder that Etheria existed at his whim.

Queen Angella sighed as she stood on a high balcony. She had been rescued from the space between worlds and reunited with her daughter, only to have the Horde tear them apart again. 

"Are you, like, ok?" Mermista leaned out of a nearby window. "The, uh, other girls and I have been kinda worried."

"That's sweet of you, dear," Angella said. "I'm just thinking about Glimmer…"

"Glimmer's strong. She'll be ok."

"I know she is. But a mother can't help but worry."

She looked up at the sky again, and gasped when she saw a stream of light shoot out from one of the Horde ships. It made a beeline straight for Bright Moon, and came to a screeching halt in the castle courtyard.

"Can it be?" Angella whispered. "Glimmer?"

She flew down to the courtyard to meet the shuttle that had just landed, and fell to her knees as the landing ramp extended to reveal Glimmer. Glimmer rushed into her mother's arms and held her in a tight embrace.

"Are you ok, Glimmer?"

"I'm… I'm fine," Glimmer cried. "I'm sorry, but I can't stay for long. I… I did what I had to do."

Angella tensed as she heard the words. "What happens now?"

Glimmer looked up from the hug and saw that the other princesses had come out of the castle now to gather around them. "Horde Prime wants us to visit him."

"And you agreed?" Perfuma gasped.

"It was either that or become useless to him. I chose what was best for Etheria."

Frosta put a hand on Glimmer's shoulder. "I understand what you mean."

"Thank you, Frosta," Glimmer said. "I'll be back, mom. I just need to make sure we can survive for now, ok? I'm sure… I'm sure Adora will save us once she figures things out. We just need to wait for it to happen."

"Then take care of yourself." Angella kissed Glimmer on her forehead one last time before she let her daughter go. "That goes for all of you. I want to see everyone back in Bright Moon when this is over."

"I promise." 

Glimmer held her mother's hands as the shuttle's engines roared back to life. She gave them a squeeze before walking up back into the ship with the other princesses. The ship slowly lifted off into the air and took them up into the skies above where the _Amphion_ awaited.

Mermista sighed as she leaned back in her seat. Ascending into the heavens would have been interesting in an intellectual sense on its own – though it was really more Entrapta's thing – but doing so to kneel before the Horde took all the joy out of the occasion.

"So, is there a ring we have to kiss or something?" She sniped at Glimmer. "Or is Horde Voxx going to take off her trousers and-"

Perfuma put her hand over Mermista's mouth. "Mermista! That's enough out of you! Glimmer has had a difficult time and I'm sure she has her reasons!" Perfuma glanced over at Glimmer. "You… do have your reasons, right?"

Glimmer looked down at her feet. "I… I'm sorry, I just… I don't want any more of my friends getting hurt. Especially if it's for no reason."

"So that's it?" Frosta threw up her hands. "We're Horde Prime's new goon squad? Great, which planet do we blast first?"

"I'm not… I didn't… look, Horde Prime will get his way no matter what, ok? Isn't it better if we go along with it, at least for now?" Glimmer turned away from her. "I'm just doing my best to keep everyone alive… we need to stay alive."

"I… guess," Frosta sighed. "I kept the Kingdom of Snows neutral for similar reasons. But I don't want to be a gun, Glimmer. I don't want to hurt other people."

Glimmer hugged her. "You won't, I promise. I'll find a way out of this, just… trust me, ok?"

"Alright," Frosta said. "I just hope you know what you're doing."

* * *

"Welcome, Princesses! The Horde is honored to have such illustrious guests with us today!" Horde Voxx bowed to the Princesses as they left the shuttle. "Come, let me show you to your accommodations. I have reserved a suite for all of you."

"I'm sorry, do you mean for each of us?" Mermista asked.

"No, for all of you. I assumed you would prefer to be together. Would you prefer to be seperate?"

"Together is fine," Glimmer said hastily. "We are grateful for your accommodations."

"Good. Please follow me to the executive suite."

The princesses stick close to Glimmer as Horde Voxx led them to a spacious suite in the bowels of the ship. Double Trouble was lounging on a couch as they walked in and gave them a lazy wave.

"Hey there!"

"Hello," Voxx said.

"Didn't mean you."

"It's good to see you too," Glimmer stepped in front of Voxx. "So, um, everyone else is here."

"Good to see you're doing a bang up job surrender," Double Trouble said. "Makes me proud."

Glimmer glared at her. "Thank you, DT."

"No problem, cousin!"

"Can you stop with the negative vibes?" Perfuma groaned. "It's not helping!"

Mermista threw herself onto the couch next to Double Trouble. "Yeah, whatever, we're here now. Yay. What now?"

Horde Voxx beamed proudly. "Now, you will have the honor of meeting Horde Prime at the Horde's Galactic Command Center in the Milky Way galaxy. We are charging up a portal as we speak. I suggest you prepare yourselves for the meeting, and do let me know if you need anything. After all, I live to serve." 

She bowed her way out of the room and left the princesses to their own devices. Once she was back in her room, she used her communication terminal to open a channel to Horde Prime directly.

"Lord Prime," she said, kneeling before his holographic image. "I have secured the willing cooperation of Etheria's Elemental Princesses – though it seems that they still have misgivings judging by the conversations I've overheard."

Horde Prime looked down at her with faint approval in his eyes. "It matters not, so long as I have them. If they refuse to see reason in the end, I can always bend them to my will."

"As with all things, Lord Prime."


	8. The Valiant

King Randor's head rose as he heard footsteps coming down the hall to the throne room. Ever since Duncan left to test the Horde defectors, he had waited restlessly for their return. Unfortunately, the door opened to reveal his son, Prince Adam, freshly back from his hunting trip.

"Hello father and mother," Adam said. "You seem tense! Is something the matter?"

"The affairs of state weigh heavily on my shoulders." King Randor frowned. "As they will on yours someday, should you ever learn the responsibility of a king to his people."

"But surely even a king may take care of himself, lest he burn out like a candle?"

"I will rest when Skeletor is dead, and the deaths of our friends avenged," Randor said. "Even now, I await the return of Duncan and, perhaps, some new allies for Eternia. It might do you good to stay and meet them."

"Randor, there's no need to take that tone with our son!" Queen Marlena smiled at Adam. "Won't you join us now that you're back?"

"I'd love to." Adam looked out the window as the roar of jet engines filled the air. "That must be them now!"

Soon after the sound died down, Duncan appeared in the throne room accompanied but the others. 

"My king," he said. "We are returned with great news! The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull herself has revealed many things to us – but it is not my place to tell you. I believe it would be best to leave that to Adora."

Adora stepped forward and bowed before them. "Your majesties, and Prince Adam. Please allow me to ask: Is it true what the Sorceress said, that Prince Adam once had a twin?"

"You must have misheard," Adam said. "I was an only child."

"That's not true, my son," Queen Marlena said. "We never told you because the memory was too painful, but… you had a twin, who was sadly lost to us the night of your birth, when Skeletor attacked. She died in a teleporter accident when I took you to a safe house."

"Your majesty, I don't believe that's true," Adora held up her sword. "I found this sword when I was part of the Horde, but I was not born into it. I learned that the Horde found me when they were experimenting with portal technology on Etheria. We thought it was an accident, but I had my suspicions that it was arranged by an ancient First One's computer system. And now that I have come here, the Sorceress filled in the missing details. This is where I came from: this planet, this castle, and this family."

"By the Ancients!" King Randor gasped. "Can it be? My daughter, at long last?"

Queen Marlena rushed forwards and hugged Adora. "We thought you were lost to us for so many years! Have you truly come back to us, after all this time?"

Adora fought back tears as she hugged her mother. "I wish I could say yes, but there is a war that I have to fight. Horde Prime is after all of us, and I cannot rest until he is dead. And I'll need your help to do it."

"Name it and it's yours," Adam said.

"As if you could offer anything." King Randor scoffed. "Still, the sentiment is correct. We will stand by you if you are against the Horde – as we all should be."

"I'll need a spaceship," Adora said. "I was told you had one?"

* * *

In the storage rooms below the Royal Palace, there was a spaceship. It was not one of the various ancient relics that the Eternians had recovered through the centuries; it was comparatively young and well maintained. Its body was made of sleek composites instead of angular crystal, or blocky metal as the crude reverse engineered Eternian ships were. It had a coat of bright white paint on its outside that was only slightly faded with age. On its side were stenciled the name "Valiant" in black, beneath which laid red jointed letters that read "NASA".

"Oooh!" Entrapta squealed. "What is a 'NASA'?"

"It stands – or, rather, stood – for 'National Aeronautics Space Administration'," Queen Marlena said fondly. "The government sponsored, civilian run space exploration program of my adoptive country, the United States of America." 

"I've never heard of such a program," Adora said.

"Nor have I," Hordak added.

"By my calculations, it was tens of millennia before your time." Marlena ran her hands across the old ship. "In an age where the nations of Earth still squabbled among themselves as they struggled to unite as one people and one planet."

Adora looked at her mother curiously. "Which nation did you come from?"

"I was born Marlena Annatrova, in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, America's chief rival for global power at the time."

Swift Wind raised an eyebrow. "What's a 'Soviet'?"

"Oh, a government organization composed of a worker's council that represents the laborers and peasants of a region."

"Well, that sounds pretty nice!"

"In theory, at least. In practice it was not quite so egalitarian, which is why my family left and changed our surnames to 'Glenn', though I suppose I would be lying if I said that America did not have its fair share of problems as well… but I suppose I left those behind me along with everything else when I chose to venture among the stars."

"And you ended up here," Adora said.

"After a disastrous mishap and an eternity in suspended animation," Queen Marlena chuckled. "And I found a wonderful husband who gave me two dear children."

"A pity father doesn't see it that way," Adam mumbled. "From the way he talks…"

Queen Marlena winked at him. "Oh, Randor is set in his ways sometimes, but rest assured that a mother always knows her son." 

Adam blanched for a moment and was at loss for words, but fortunately Entrapta stepped in immediately. "So how does it work! You mentioned suspended animation – did you use a status field or cryogenics?"

"Sadly the latter," Queen Marlena chuckled. "I was frozen like a bag of peas when my ship veered off course at near-light speed for thousands of years. It's something of a miracle I ended up anywhere at all, rather than drifting through the endless void of space, given how much emptiness there is."

"I suppose we could call it destiny," Adora murmured. "Is this ship still in working shape?"

"I've kept my eye on her, and she's as spaceworthy as when she first left Cape Canaveral." Queen Marlena gave a short, stifled laugh. 

"Mom! Are you alright?" Adam quickly supported her as she blinked away tears.

"It's fine, Adam. It's just… I hadn't thought about it in some time." She drew a sharp breath. "Марлена! озьми себя в руки! Соберись!"

She wiped away the tears. "Adora, we can have this ready in a day. Until then, why don't we enjoy each other's company?"

"Yes, agreed," Adam said. "You know, I think a celebration might be in order! I'll have the ballroom readied right away!"

The royal ballroom had languished under King Randor, who chose to attend exclusively to affairs of state, but at Prince Adam's command it was restored to working order for a ball in honor of the newly returned Princess Adora. King Randor looked happy for the first time in months, and happily took part in arranging the festivities.

Adora fidgeted in her new dress – Adam had thoughtfully arranged for a tailor to outfit them all – as she nursed a flagon of wine in front of the family she had never known. Discussing the details of how she was raised, the war against the Horde, the struggle Eternia was undergoing with Skeletor, and the strategies and tactics that could counter the Evil Warriors was easy enough, but it was difficult establishing a personal bond. Eventually, she excused herself and sought out a balcony for fresh air.

"You doing ok, Adora?" Scorpia's shadow loomed over Adora. "You look like you could use a friend, and maybe a glass of wine."

Adora smiled upon seeing a familiar face. "Thanks. This has all been… well, it's a lot to take in."

"But hey! You got your answers, right? You know where you came from! I wouldn't know what I'd do if I never knew about my moms. Aren't you happy?"

"I am! It's what I wanted, but… well, maybe I'm just being silly, but I thought there'd be more of a connection. The King and Queen remember me, but I don't remember them, and Adam doesn't remember me. It's not like what Glimmer and Angella had. They didn't raise me." Adora frowned and remembered what it was like for her and Catra to grow up under Shadow Weaver. "And the person who did, well…" 

"But hey, look on the bright side! You get to make a relationship rather than being born into one! That means something, doesn't it?"

"I guess it does. It's like making friends, in a way..."

"That a girl!" Scorpia hugged her. 

"Wow, those are some powerful arms you have there," Adora giggled. "So, what is this?"

"Wine is… well, it's basically fermented grape juice."

Adora took a sip from the wineglass and let the complex flavor roll around on her tongue. "Mmm. It does taste nice. Not as sweet, though."

"Well duh, some of the sugar gets turned into alcohol."

"It makes me feel fuzzy." She leaned against Scorpia and took a large gulp.

Scorpia could feel the warmth radiating off of Adora. "Uh, then maybe you should stop drinking?"

"But it's also nice. I feel… nice." Adora put an arm around Scorpia's waist. "Hey, do you remember Princess Prom?"

"How could I forget? It was… eventful."

"It's a shame that we never got to dance. Want to make up for it?"

She pulled Scorpia onto the dance floor before she could protest and held her close as they swayed to the beat of the music. Scorpia found herself following Adora's lead as she dictated the dance despite her smaller size. For the moment, the war with the Horde and even the party around them faded out of mind as they focused on their dancing.

Scorpia rested her chin on Adora's hair poof. ""You sure know how to show a gal a good time."

Adora rested her head against Scorpia's chest. "You're not so bad yourself!"

"Catra did always say I was annoyingly positive!" Scorpia fell silent for a moment. "I wonder how she's doing?"

"I'd like to think she's doing alright," Adora said. "She's a survivor, if nothing else."

"I miss her."

"Me too. I always thought we'd be together…"

"You're fortunate to have such a special bond," Scorpia said quietly, as she looked down at the floor..

Adora put a hand on Scorpia's chin and turned her head around so that they were looking each other in the eyes. "You sound like you can't be friends with both of us."

"I wouldn't want to get in the way."

"You can't get in the way by being someone's friend," Adora giggled. "Catra thought the same thing when I met Lonnie, that I'd leave her for someone else. But you can't really run out of friendship, can you?"

Scorpia bit her lip. "You can run out of time and attention, though."

"But don't you have a lot of friends? Do you think that you could have too many?"

"Well, no…"

"See? Don't worry about it." Adora pecked Scorpia on the cheek. "I like you. And I can tell Catra likes you. So be our friend, ok?"

Scorpia picked Adora up by the waist and hugged her close. "Thanks. For everything."

* * *

Entrapta sat in a corner of the ballroom and looked out of the window at the buildings beneath them as if she hoped to commit the entire city of Eternos to memory before they left. 

"Isn't it just fascinating how much technology has survived in Eternia? There's so much more tech here compared to what we had in Etheria! I wonder why that is."

"Probably because the survivors here were never banished like they were from Etheria," Mara said. "I imagine they did their best to build up Eternia's defenses and hold out against the Horde, but clearly they abandoned this place many centuries ago."

Entrapta gasped. "So what you're saying is that there's probably endless amounts of technological secrets here on Eternia?"

"Yes," Mara growled. "The tragic downfall of my people and their Empire from their own hubris means that there are artifacts and relics here for you to plunder."

Entrapta squealed and danced around in excitement while Hordak glared at Mara. "There was no need for that."

"Silence, clone. You who destroyed my people's legacy would understand nothing of the loss."

"I can even if I helped to carry it out." Hordak hissed. 

"So you don't even have the excuse of being one of Horde Prime's mindless minions, then."

"I am trying to leave that life behind."

"Try as you may, you might find that the past is always with us."

Hordak turned away from her abruptly to look at Entrapta. "Perhaps, but I have a future to focus on."

"How fortunate for you that you get one."

"I imagine you could make a future for yourself too, if you were not so busy bemoaning the past."

"As if there was a place for me in this world, in this age?"

Hordak inclined his head towards Adora. "The times may have changed, but it appears that She-Ra remains."

"It doesn't seem fitting that someone who tried to destroy She-Ra teach Adora how to be She-Ra," Mara said. "Not that I was ever good at it when I was She-Ra."

"Did the First One's tell you that?" Hordak gave a bitter laugh. "Horde Prime said that I was a failure, but I only failed at achieving his purpose for me. Horde Prime is not the earth and sky – and neither were the First Ones."

Mara sighed. "Perhaps not, but what is She-Ra without the First Ones?"

"The First Ones were powerful, but they were not the earth and sky; Adora can forge her own destiny."

"In my experience, destiny fights back. All my efforts to destroy She-Ra only delayed the inevitable."

"But the battle is not over yet, and I suspect it will go on as long as there are people to fight it. At least that's what I've learned." Hordak shrugged. "I must attend to Entrapta now. If you decide to bow out and stay on Eternia, then I suppose I shall bid you adieu."

Mara nodded curtly. "Farewell. Hordak. Enjoy your evening."


	9. The Sword Chooses

Nine hundred lightyears away from Third Earth, the  _ Belladonna  _ basked in the light of Rigel. Recharging the warp core was difficult without a dedicated charging station, and there were precious few of those available; even the mighty Horde preferred to route all traffic through their galactic command center rather than build a network of charging stations throughout the galaxy due to the difficulty of constructing them. However, Rigel was a blue supergiant and it emitted so much energy that it made the ship's slow recharging process almost tolerable, if a little dangerous. 

At this close distance, all it would take would be one inopportune solar flare to disable the ship and leave it helpless in the face of the coronal mass ejection that often followed such an event. But the life of a space pirate was all about taking risks, and the chances of getting caught by a solar flare of that magnitude were much lower than the myriad of other situations that might end a pirate's life. Assaulting the capital of New Thundera had been a particularly bold move, but they had come out of it with the greatest treasure in the galaxy.

Cyrus Blackmane swung the Sword of Omens around in his room, marvelling at its wonderful balance and razor-sharp edge made from indestructible metal. It would never grant him access to its true powers, but the goal was not to gain power, but to deprive the Thunderans of it. And the sword did make an excellent conversation piece.

The intercom beeped and the voice of his wolfish first mate interrupted thoughts. "Captain, we've got a light freighter incoming."

"What? Sirius, lock weapons on that ship! I want to know how they found us and what their business is!"

"I've already done so, sir." Sirius said dutifully. "The pilot claims to be Horde officer who has kidnapped a member of the di Leone dynasty for us."

A smile broke out on Blackmane's face. "Looks like good things come in threes. Did I not tell you, Sirius?"

"You did indeed, sir. Shall I allow her to dock?"

"By all means. Open up the aft hanger and let them in. In fact, I think I would like to personally organize the welcoming party."

He hung the sword on a display rack and made his way down to the hanger. When he arrived, he saw that Sirius had already assembled a small security team who stood at attention – at least as much as could be expected of pirates – as the freighter was slowly guided in.

The door of the craft hissed open, and Tybalt di Leone was tossed out unceremoniously onto the cold floor with his hands tied behind his back. Cyrus laughed as a Catra slowly sauntered down the ramp and dragged Tybalt over to them by his collar.

"Captain Blackmane, a pleasure to meet you." She extended a hand to him.

"Likewise." He squeezed it firmly.

"I wish I could say the same," Tybalt spat.

Catra promptly kicked him in the stomach. "Cargo doesn't get to talk."

"Quite right," Cyrus nodded. "And what are you asking for him?"

"Nothing at all," Catra purred. "This is a gift from Horde Prime, congratulating you on your latest acquisition."

"We are delighted to receive such a prize from the mighty Horde Prime, though I must say that your unexpected arrival comes as a surprise to us." Cyrus pulled out a small datapad from his pocket. "I trust you won't mind if I verify that claim?"

Catra shrugged. "Go for it. My ID number is 0301201801."

Cyrus tapped in the number, then held the datapad in front of Catra so it could scan her. "Hm. Says here that you're deceased, Force Commander." 

He turned the screen to show her a picture of herself with the status 'Killed in Action'.

"Of course it does," she said smoothly. "I had to play dead in order to infiltrate Thundera."

"Ah, deep cover. Of course." Cyrus put the datapad away and gestured to the exit. "Come, you must be famished after your trip. Let's go to the mess while my men accommodate the prisoner."

He snapped his fingers, and two guards reached for Tybalt. He promptly slid his hands under his feet and pulled the nearest guard into a headbutt that shattered his nose. His hands reached for the guard's stun baton, which he drew and swung into the skull of the second guard with one swift motion. Tybalt leapt at Cyrus before the second guard had hit the floor, with the stun baton cackling dangerously.

Catra slammed into Tybalt before he could reach Cyrus and knocked him to the floor. Both of her hands wrestled with his for control of the stun baton while she planted a foot on his throat with her claws resting directly over his jugular vein. 

"Down boy," she hissed. "Before I decide you're more trouble than you're worth."

She pressed down on him and a trickle of blood ran down the side of his neck. Tybalt let go of the weapon with a grunt and Catra promptly pointed it at him. 

"And you were behaving so nicely when we were spending time together. Were you hoping to get close to Blackmane? That's so adorable." Catra ruffled his hair before turning her attention to Cyrus. "Captain Blackmane, my apologies; I hope I didn't overstep my boundaries."

"Oh, not at all." Cyrus gave her a hearty pat on the back. "It's good to see that someone around here can think on their feet. Sometimes I wonder what I keep this rabble around for."

He looked down at his two guards and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright you lot, get these two to the medical bay and out of my sight."

"And the prisoner?" One of the other pirates asked. 

"Surely we should treat our guest of honor as well," Cyrus chuckled.

"You have… interesting taste," Catra said. "You might want to keep a leash on him though."

One of his men stepped forward with a shock collar for Catra, which she twirled around her finger before snapping around Tybalt's neck and pulling him up to his feet.

"Come on, Tiger. Let's get you something to eat."

She gave a sharp tug on the leash as she followed Cyrus out of the hanger and through the ship until they arrived at a small cafeteria. Judging by the polished table and soft chairs, it was an officer's mess hall. 

"Not bad," Catra whistled. "So what did you want to discuss, Captain?"

"Well, I would first like to give my thanks to Horde Prime for being such an excellent sponsor," Cyrus said. "The Horde advance into this star-sector has opened up numerous opportunities for us. But I am also aware that the Horde has its eyes set on this entire galaxy; would you permit me to ask what our relationship will be in the long term?"

Catra took a moment to consider her response as a pirate began laying out a variety of smoked fish in front of them. She took a piece in her mouth and savored the flavor; it was raw, fatty, and delightfully salty. 

"Horde Prime does desire to rule this galaxy, Captain Blackmane, but he will need people to see to the finer details and make sure others are kept in line. If you do your job, you'll have a place in the Horde as well. Maybe you'll be next to lead New Thundera."

"I would like that very much," Cyrus purred. "Especially with a liaison such as yourself. Please, if you will allow me to ask: where are you from? I wasn't aware that any Thunderans were part of the Horde."

"I've never given it much thought. I've always considered myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve with the ruler of the known universe, and left it at that. Besides, all I was ever left by my parents was this."

She tapped her headpiece. "Some sort of ceremonial headpiece, I think."

"Indeed?" Cyrus nodded. "If you would care to join me in my private office, perhaps we could examine it closer?"

Catra raised an eyebrow. "Are you offering out of the goodness of your heart?"

"My interest as a collector of antiques has been piqued," he purred.

"Well, I suppose that I could indulge this request." Catra tugged sharply on Tybalt's leash. "Lead the way, captain."

They followed him into his private office, where scores of trophies from his pirating career were displayed. They ranged from weapons to art and artifacts, all completely unfamiliar to Catra. Catra threw herself into a luxurious chair and tossed her headpiece to him. He looked it over closely before scanning it into his computer's database. 

"Ah, how interesting. It's a Thunderan artifact, from before the exodus." He spun it around in his hands. "These were used by a group of magic-users who called themselves the Magicats. When the planet was destroyed, they parted ways with the evacuation fleet and were never heard from again. How strange to see it show up after all this time."

He looked Catra over. "Was it difficult growing up without knowing your past? There's no need to pretend that the Horde has offered you a fulfilling life; it's always about Horde Prime, and never about those that serve him."

Catra's eyes narrowed. "What are you saying?"

"I'm merely curious; don't you want to know more about your heritage?" He placed the headpiece on the table in front of her. "There are doubtless untold secrets to uncover out there among the stars. Far more than the Horde would ever let you know."

"It sounds like you're trying to talk me into joining your crew."

He smirked. "And if I were? There's no shortage of professionals such as yourself who decided their true calling was to be free among the stars."

Catra laughed. "Out among the stars in one ship, with the entire Horde on my back? You'd have to be crazy to put yourself in that position."

"Well, I won't deny that Horde Prime has many things, but all his ships and soldiers will be nothing compared to the power I will soon wield."

"Last I heard, the Sword of Omens wasn't cooperating," Catra said dryly.

"Oh, the Sword of Omens is a fine weapon, but weapons alone aren't power. Horde Prime has power not through his weapons, but through technology and industry. He has used the resources of entire galaxies to their fullest extent. But I intend to seek a different power, one that is beyond our physical reality."

Tybalt's eyes widened, and although he kept quiet, Catra knew what he was thinking. "You want to bring back Mumm-Ra."

"Very good," Cyrus purred. "Yes, I will take the instrument of my master's destruction and release him from his shadowy prison. And with the guidance of the Ancient Spirits of Evil, we will conquer this universe."

"Well, I don't think I need to say that your plans directly conflict with those of the Horde," Catra said stiffly. "And I imagine that you knew me refusing was a possibility. So tell me, is this the part where we fight?"

"No." Cyrus picked up a sword hilt from a rack on the wall and unleashed a brilliant energy blade from it. "This is the part where you die."

He lunged towards her and Catra ducked as the blade singed her hair. She rolled across the room and reached for the nearest weapon she could find: the Sword of Omens. Her fingers wrapped around the blade of a sword and she brought it up to block Cyrus as he swung the energy blade at her. It bounced off the sword and she took the opportunity to thrust it into the opening in his defense.

The Sword of Opens stopped just shy of Cyrus's chest, as if arrested by some invisible force. Cyrus batted it aside with his energy sword and laughed. "You fool! That sword can only be wielded by the pure of heart, and not by the likes of us!"

He pressed his attack with unparalleled ferocity. The weightless blade of his energy sword struck at Catra from all directions, and it took all the effort she had to block it. He pressed her to the edge of his desk and, out of place to run, she caught his blade with her sword's hilt. Their weapons were locked in place with neither capable of overpowering the other until Tybalt threw himself onto Cyrus's back and fixed the shock collar around his neck.

Cyrus roared in pain as a lethal dose of electricity stopped his heart. His body slumped to the floor and Tybalt lost no time in reaching down to break Cyrus's neck for good measure.

Catra turned away from the body and steadied herself. "You, uh… damn. I mean… damn. Didn't think you had it in you. You really know how to kick someone when they're down, Tiger."

"Is there a better time to kick someone?" Tybalt took the Sword of Omens from her and tucked it into his belt. "Alright, we don't have long. Do you know how to use any of these weapons?"

"How hard can a blaster be?" Catra grabbed the nearest energy rifle and flicked off the safety. The rifle booted up with a steady hum.

"Good. Cover me while I tap into their systems. If we're lucky, the pirates forgot to change the access codes." Tybalt sat down in front of the captain's terminal and began typing away furiously. "Looks like they were sloppy! Let's see if we can't even the odds a little."

A map of the ship appeared on the screen, followed by green dots identifying all of the personnel onboard. "Alright, remember that battleship I told you about earlier? It didn't have enough internal security systems or crew to repel a dedicated boarding party, so the pirates managed to infiltrate it during a battle and damage its warp generator. We've made significant changes to our defenses since then."

The dots corresponding to pirates suddenly turned red. Sirens began sounding through the ship as the sound of weapons fire filled the halls. . 

"Who's going to pilot it back if we kill all of them, just the two of us?"

Tybalt shrugged. "These ships basically run themselves. We just have to input a destination and let the computers do the work–"

The lights flickered and died out as the artificial gravity went offline, which left them floating in the air.

"Or maybe the pirates have a few more tricks up their sleeves than you expected?" 

Tybalt smacked the computer in frustration. "Total system shutdown! They've taken the internal defenses and everything else offline, influencing life support. We've got to keep moving: without circulation, we're going to suffocate in a bubble of our own CO 2 . Dammit, they might even be waiting for us to asphyxiate!"

"Sounds like you're not the only one who knows how to fight dirty." Catra grinned. "So what's the plan?"

"Did they teach you about zero-g combat in the Horde?" Tybalt sighed when he saw Catra shake her head. "Alright, I'll take the lead. Stay behind me and watch my back."

Tybalt grabbed a pistol and drifted up to the ceiling, where he crouched above the door. He reached down and tapped the keypad next to it to open the door, then immediately stood up and began firing at the pirates in the bridge. He dodged their return fire by hurling himself out of the doorway to take cover behind consoles, deftly maneuvering around them to pick off the remaining pirates until the two of them were the only living beings there.

"It's clear," he shouted.

Catra let out a low whistle as she stepped out and saw half a dozen lifeless bodies drifting in the air. "That was pretty cold of you."

"I'm motivated." Tybalt opened the door to the rest of the ship and checked it for pirates. "Alright, the docking bay isn't too far from here. We just need to make our way through it and into the freighter."

"It's not going to be that easy, is it?"

"I expect an ambush in the hanger. Best place for it; these narrow hallways favor smaller teams, and I'm pretty sure the pirates will want to throw everything they have at us."

"So what do we do? The hanger seems like it'd be a deathtrap."

Tybalt drew the Sword of Omens and held it to his forehead. "Well, if I had any connection to this, I could project a shield over us, but the damn thing's still giving me the cold shoulder."

"You mentioned the pirates had suits earlier. Couldn't we suit up and get into the hanger from the outside?"

"You want to try an exo-assault?" Tybalt looked impressed. "It might do it, but I'm not trained for it and you sure as hell aren't either. One wrong move and we float off into the void."

"Well, it's that or we try to make our way through a doorway full of laser beams."

Tybalt paused for a moment to calculate the odds. "Alright, let's suit up and head out."

Ten minutes later, they were out on the exterior of the ship. Catra held tightly to the guide rails on the exterior of the  _ Belladonna  _ as she and Tybalt slowly made their way to the hanger. Their magnetic boots kept them fixed to the ship's outer hull, but nevertheless she kept a deathgrip on the maintenance railing that led to the hanger and made sure that she was tethered to it. The vast emptiness of space was much like the oceans that she loathed, with the added bonus of a blazing hot star that would have cooked them in seconds if not for the thin layer of artificial fabrics and head dissipating ceramic plating that separated them from the void.

The visor of her hazardous environment suit fogged up as she breathed into it harder than she realized. Catra held her breath and forced herself to calm down as they closed in on the emergency airlock. This was no time for nerves.

Once they were inside the airlock, Catra readied her rifle as Tybalt unlocked the door. An alarm bladed out as the airlock unsealed, giving away their location. Tybalt shot out into the hanger with his sword in one hand and pistol in the other. She jumped out after him and saw that the pirates had set up gun emplacements facing the door, where they expected them to come in. Before they could swing their guns around, Catra pulled her rifle tight against her shoulder and let its laser beam cut into the pirates from behind, while Tybalt scored a string of headshots as he wove his way forward.

The hanger erupted into chaos a dozens of pirates scrambled around their dead to find new cover and reposition their guns. Catra landed on the hanger wall and kicked off into the rafters above as the pirates returned fire. She hung up there and swept the laser across the hanger to suppress the pirates as Tybalt engaged in fierce close-quarters combat with his sword and pistol.

The lights in the hanger came up abruptly and Catra found herself falling towards the floor as the artificial gravity returned. She twisted around in the air and landed on her feet while Tybalt stumbled backwards towards her as the pirates rose up off the ground with their weapons at the ready.

Sirus walked calmly into the hanger with the rest of the ship's pirates. 

"Did you think you could leave this ship alive after all that you've done?" He barked through his helmet. "Much less shoot your way out?"

"Yes," Catra said. "Clearly."

Tybalt edged closer to her in order to shield her with his body. "Not now, Catra…"

He cleared his throat and lowered his pistol. "Perhaps we could parlay? Cyrus Blackmane is dead, and we're willing to let you have the ship if you let us go."

Sirius gave a haughty laugh. "Or perhaps we just kill you and take the sword and the ship."

A blazing array of laser beams filled the air. Catra reflexively clung onto Tybalt as he raised the sword defensively. When the weapon fire abasted, the pirates saw the two of them standing in the middle of a translucent red forcefield. Tybalt stared in wonder at the sword in his hand, which projected the shield around them.

The sword's blade cackled with electricity as he swung it through the air and issued a lightning bolt that leaped from pirate to pirate. Sirius rolled out of the way until he came to a rest at the foot of an emplaced plasma cannon.

Tybalt had a brief second to raise his sword defensively as a plasma bolt knocked him off of his feet and sent the sword flying off into a distant corner of the hanger. Sirius lowered his aim to catch Tybalt in his sights again, and pulled the trigger again. The cannon gave a high pitched whine as it heated the plasma, only for it to abruptly die out and dissipate.

An unplugged power cable promptly hit him in the side of the head, followed by the weight of Catra's body as she knocked him away from the laser and onto the ground. He drew a knife and stabbed her repeatedly as she fired her rifle into his helmet at point-blank range. The laser beam cut through his helmet and brought an abrupt end to his struggles.

"Catra! Are you alright?" Tybalt sprinted over and pulled her off of Sirus's corpse. "Don't move, you might be injured."

Catra winced as she felt the pain course through her side. "I think my body armor got it."

Tybalt held up a blood-red hand. "Most of it. Hold on, I'm getting you to the med-bay."

"Not again," Catra groaned as she felt herself growing lightheaded. 

She closed her eyes and let herself rest in Tybalt's arms as he raced through the ship's hallways until he came to the medical bay and laid her on an operating table.

An octopus-like robot descended from the ceiling. "Please state the nature of the medical emergency."

"Multiple punctures in the thoracic cavity," Tybalt responded as he pulled off her spacesuit. "Patient in danger of entering hypovolemic shock."

"Understood. Please clear the operating area." 

Tybalt stepped away from the table as the medical droid's arms quickly cut away the rest of her clothing and prepared the area for surgery. He collapsed in a chair in the hallway outside as the adrenaline from combat wore off, and drifted into sleep.

* * *

_ He opened his eyes with a start and saw that he was sitting on a park bench as crowds of Thunderans filled the streets as far as the eye could see. This was not the Thundera he grew up in; the architecture was ancient and much less developed than the cities of steel and concrete he was used to.  _

_ He stumbled around in the crowd, calling out to the people around him without any response. There was nothing to do but push forward and see what the commotion was about. He walked through the streets until he came to a public square, where a high platform had been set up.  _

_ On top of it were the Thunder Cats and all the allies who had fought alongside them against the evil forces of Mumm-Ra. They addressed the crowd, but their voices were muffled and indistinct. Tybalt pushed his way forward to the front and arrived just as Lion-O laid the Sword of Omens to rest in a display case. _

_ "May we live in peace and prosperity from now on, in this wonderful world we have come to call home," Lion-O said. "With our allies we shall rebuild this planet into the paradise it once was. Let us put away our weapons, until the time for war and warriors comes again. But until that time comes, let us be happy and free!" _

* * *

Tybalt opened his eyes abruptly and found himself in the bed he and Catra shared last night. His body ached from the exertion he had put it through, but he was otherwise unharmed. There was a knock at the door as Catra opened it and leaned against the doorframe.

"Did you get enough beauty sleep?"

"Good to see the auto-doc fixed everything." Tybalt winced as he struggled to get out of bed; the injuries he had shrugged off in the heat of battle had caught up with him. "Do you have the sword?"

"Right here." She tossed the Sword of Omens onto the bed. "So what's the plan, Tiger?" 

"We take the ship back home, of course."

"Then what?"

"I suppose the High Command will approve your entry and residence to New Thundera. And if you need a place to stay, I'm confident that my family can find something suitable."

"That sounds nice," she said softly. "And I'd get to learn about my past?"

"You'd have access to the best historians on the planet! Any university would be happy to help in exchange for learning about Etheria. I imagine you'll be able to shed some light on a part of our past that we are still sadly ignorant of." 

Catra bit her lip. "And what about the war with the Horde? Or my friends on Eternia?"

"Well, the High Command has been monitoring the Horde for a while, but they have no immediate plans to attack Thunderan space, and we're not making the first move against them. Thundera is, at best, a regional power - we can't launch an offensive against an intergalactic empire. We'd be spending resources and putting our people's lives at risk for nothing."

"Ah, I see. And if I wanted to leave to go it on my own?"

"I think that, uh, given how much you've seen, the High Command would be disinclined to allow you to leave." Tybalt put a hand on her shoulder. "But if you want to leave now, I can claim that I lost track of you during the fighting. Take the freighter and find Victoria. I'm sure she'd give you a chance to make a life for yourself."

Catra brought the Sword of Omens up between them. "Tybalt… do you remember what you told me about this sword? About how it hasn't responded to anyone for generations? Why do you think it worked for you today?"

"I... I don't know," he said. "Maybe the sword got sick of the pirates."

"Or maybe you started using it for its true purpose. Your ancestors used the sword to fight for a good cause, didn't they? And there's a good fight to be had out there, among the stars: the Horde's going to come for everyone in the end, and if you don't join the fight now, then the most you can do is delay the inevitable."

Tybalt backed away from her. "Catra, think about what you're saying. If we take this ship and the sword, we'd become pirates ourselves! We'll be lucky if the High Command doesn't decide to send a kill-team after us. I'd lose my family and you'd lose your chance to learn about your past! Please, just trust in the High Command to do what is right, ok?"

"If you want to do your duty, soldier-boy, then here. Have the sword and the ship." She shoved the Sword of Omens into his arms. "I'll take the freighter. I don't need to know about my past if it'll cost me the people I'm close to in the present."

Tybalt looked at her retreating form, and then back at the sword. The Eye of Thundera flashed red, and for a moment he thought he saw Lion-O looking back at him. He blinked and the image was replaced by his own reflection.

His throat dried up as he knew what had to be done.

"Wait, Catra!" She stopped and waited for him to catch up with her. "Alright, let's say I joined you. Do you know where you want to go?"

"Yeah, I have a place in mind," she purred. "Come on, Tiger. Let's get to the bridge."


	10. Reap The Whirlwind

Glimmer looked at the card that someone – most likely Voxx – had slipped under their door while the princesses were asleep. The heavy white paper proclaimed that "You Are Cordially Invited to a Royal Banquet" in amateurish Etherian. She sighed, wondering what Voxx had come up with to try and curry favor this time.

"Please tell me it's good news," Mermista groaned. "I never knew being held prisoner could be so boring."

Frosta snatched the invitation and looked it over without much favor. "Probably lunch with a side of propaganda."

"Now come on, we do need to eat," said Perfuma. "Glimmer's already lost enough weight."

Glimmer sighed. "I suppose you're right. Come on, let's see what the Horde wants with us this time." 

As she put her hand on the door's control panel, she felt a shudder run through the Amphion's metal frame. While she did not have Entrapta's vast technical expertise, it was not hard to guess that the engines had just fired up. Was the ship maneuvering?

The door opened on command and she saw Voxx waiting patiently outside.

"Princess Glimmer, I'm glad to see you accepted our invitation." Voxx bowed. "Would you like to follow me to the observation deck?"

"What are we observing?" Glimmer asked suspiciously.

"I'd hate to ruin the surprise." Voxx turned and walked down the hallway.

Several scenarios began to play through Glimmer's head as they walked to the observation deck, ranging from a benign change of scenery to a show of force by the Horde. She breathed a sigh of relief as Voxx opened a door to simply reveal that they had turned around so that the bright orange light of Etheria's new sun was illuminating the banquet.

"Beautiful, isn't it? You can see much more of the natural splendor from here, without an atmosphere to get in the way."

"It certainly is, but I'm guessing you didn't arrange this just so we could stargaze."

"That would be correct; I am merely setting the stage. But that is for later." She pulled out a chair for Glimmer. "Won't you have a seat?"

Glimmer took the proffered seat and sipperd nervously from a glass of water. "So… is there not a lot of diplomacy that goes on in the Horde now? You've been here for a while."

"The Horde is engaged on several fronts, but our enemies have long refused to acquiesce. There are, perhaps, a few new potential acquisitions on the horizon, but the timeline is known only to Horde Prime. Until then, Etheria is my task."

"I see." Glimmer hesitated, then took a calculated risk. "No word yet on Adora, then?"

"Adora? Ah yes, your She-Ra. No, the witless minion Horde Prime assigned to track her down has not reported in for some time. I suppose you hope that your – hm – weapon remains out of Horde control?"

"Adora's not a weapon, she's my friend," Glimmer said firmly. "She's our friend."

"Forgive me. Horde Prime told me what he read in her mind when he took control of her. It seemed to be her impression that the friendship was contingent on her being useful to the Rebellion."

"I… that was just so my mom wouldn't flip out. I'm not friends with Adora so she'll fight for us." Glimmer bit her lip. "You said Horde Prime sent someone to find her?"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about it given the general level of competency I've seen from him. I don't know what Horde Prime is thinking, but it's not my place to question."

"Yet you do?"

"Let us simply say that Skeletor makes me question my own sanity sometimes," Voxx snipped. 

"What does Horde Prime want with Adora? She can't possibly be a threat to him."

"Of course not. Nothing can threaten Horde Prime; long ago, it was prophesied that no king or general could ever stand before him. But She-Ra is useful to him, for the same reason you are all useful."

"Because we are the leaders of Etheria?"

"Half-right," Voxx said. "But I think it would be best to let Horde Prime explain it himself."

All activity stopped as a bright beam of blue light shot up from the floor and projected the image of Horde Prime.

"Dearest greetings to my honored guests, and a thousand apologies for not being there to honor you in person," he said with a bow. "Do forgive me; the task of overseeing galaxies is no mean feat, even for one such as myself."

Double Trouble spoke before anyone else could respond. "Horde Prime, I think I speak for all of us when I say that we did not mind the wait."

"Charming," Hodre Prime chuckled. "I think the time has come, Princesses of Etheria, to make your planet the crown jewel in my empire. The abysmal dimension of Despondos is behind you; what you have to look forward to is a bright future in the Horde."

He snapped his fingers, and the light of the sun was cut off by a brilliant green glow; when it died down, the sun was gone and replaced by a massive space station adrift in a sea of stars. Dozens of cruisers and carriers were docked around the rings of the central hub, and there was a constant stream of traffic as vessels came in from far corners of the universe, or embarked on missions of conquest.

"Welcome," Horde Prime said, "To my humble command center for the Milky Way galaxy! I look forward to showing you all the many wonders inside when you finish your little banquet. Please do eat up; I want to make sure you are well prepared for the occasion."

* * *

The  _ Valiant  _ stood on a launch platform for the first time since its original launch many millennia ago, nested in a launch silo deep beneath the Royal Palace. Adora stood in front of it and oversaw her friends as they loaded the supplies and equipment they would need onboard the vessel.

She felt a tap on her shoulder and saw Mara standing next to her. "Looks like everything's wrapping up down here."

"I suppose so," Adora said. "I can't believe we'll be off to fight Horde Prime soon."

"Do you truly think the power of She-Ra can stop him?"

"I don't know, but I have to try. I don't think I could live with myself if I didn't at least do something."

"You won't be living at all if you're wrong."

"I suppose not, but it's not like Horde Prime would let me live in any case. So I'm going to bring the fight to him instead of waiting for him to find me."

"You'll need a good pilot to fly that hunk of junk if that's the case," Mara said. "Hordak may know where the galactic command station is, and Entrapta may be able to fix up the ship, but I can't say either of them really know how to pilot a starship."

Adora clasped her hands around Mara's. "Are you offering to come with us again?"

"Yes, I suppose it would be a shame if you never got a chance to fight Horde Prime properly."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Adora hugged her. "You get settled into the pilot's chair, I'm going to say goodbye to my family."

Adora dashed up a flight of stairs to a control room overlooking the launchpad, where the royal family waited for her. She slowed down to catch her breath in front of them, before quickly giving each of them a hug. 

"I want to say thanks for all the help you've given us, even if we've only just met."

"Think nothing of it." King Randor smiled warmly. "Your return is a blessing for us."

"Especially after all the losses we've suffered at the hands of Skeletor," Adam added. "Stay safe, won't you? I'd hate for you to join the ranks of the honored dead before we got a chance to really know each other."

"Of course. I've got to bring the ship back, don't I?"

"And make sure she's in one piece," Marlena chuckled. "Well… I suppose you'll be off. Get in place and I'll handle the launch procedures from here."

"Alright then… goodbye, for now." Adora hugged each of them again before she went back down to the ship and strapped herself into her seat.

The ship lifted up until it was vertical, and the engines slowly awoke from their long slumber, until the silo reverberated with their roar. The  _ Valiant  _ took off with a snap and pressed its passengers pack in their seats as it roared into the air, where a swirling blue portal awaited it, and then vanished from Eternia.

In an instant, the beautiful planet below them disappeared and was replaced by the menacing megastructure of the Horde's Milky Way command center many thousands of miles in the distance. Mara immediately shut down the power on the ship so that they could cruise through space under silent running.

"Entrapta," she whispered, "Is Duncan's stealth generator ready?"

Entrapta saluted. "Aye, captain! But why are we whispering? They can't hear us in space."

"I was just… oh, never mind!" Mara huffed. "Alright, activate the stealth field and we'll close in on the station off of our inertia. We'll reach the destination in a few hours and see if we can slip through a maintenance hatch." 

Adora drew her sword with a flourish. "That's great. We'll have time to rehearse our plan of attack a few times."

Entrapta brought up a holographic model of the command center. "Alright, Hordak and I did our best to recreate a map of the command center."

"At least, of how it used to be several decades ago," Hordak said. "Some of the specific details may have changed, but the general layout should still be the same."

"Thank you." Adora changed the Sword of Protection into a pointer. "After bypassing the security system at one of the lower maintenance hatches, we'll split into two groups. One will secure a server room here so we can gather information on the scope of Horde activity and any plans they might have for Etheria. The other will hijack a transport that we can use to warp out of here."

"Back home?" Scorpia asked.

Lonnie shook her head. "No way, that would be too obvious. The best idea would be to hide somewhere off the charts and plan our next move."

"Good thing we'll know where the Horde is or isn't when we tap their system," Entrapta cackled. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun!"

* * *

Adora quietly crept along the endless miles of pipes and wires that filled the maintenance corridors that ran inside the command center as Entrapta led the way to the server room.

"How much longer?" Lonnie whispered from behind her. "I'm getting claustrophobic back here and Scorpia keeps poking me!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be so… pointy!"

"It can't be too much further, can it?" Adora looked over Entrapta's shoulder at the datapad she was carrying.

Entrapta pointed up at an access hatch. "We should be right under it. All we need to do is follow the cables."

She carefully opened the hatch and lifted herself up into the server room.

"Eureka!"

Adora shot up after her and put a hand over Entrapta's mouth. "Quiet!"

"Sorry," Entrapta said. "I guess I should get to work, huh?"

She plugged the datapad into one of the servers and began to tap away. "Interesting! Horde Prime uses a massive neural network with multiple levels of quantum encryption in order to secure and manage all his data!"

"Does that mean you can't break into it?" Adora whispered.

"Well, we'd be in trouble if Hordak didn't give me a few pointers! It turns out that Horde Prime hasn't changed his encryption keys or passwords in centuries since the only people who access the network are his own clones."

The datapad chimed happily to signal that she had gained access to the system. "It's all in here! Troop deployments, fleet movements, casualty reports…"

"Download it all and let's get out of here," Adora said. "The others should have a ship by now."

* * *

Mara and Hordak were clustered around a service door as they observed the Horde workers managing a steady flow of supplies flowing in and out of the docking bay. There was a staggering number of freight haulers before them, most of which were of the same sleek and angular design that the Horde had standardized on some five hundred years ago.

"So what are you thinking?" Swift Wind whispered from behind them.

"Not so loud," Mara whispered. "We're still deciding."

"Why? Let's go for one of the big ships!"   
  


Hordak shook his head. "We'll need something with a substantial long jump capability. The heavy freighters are ill-suited to this task due to how the energy cost of warping grows exponentially with mass. We'll need to find a light vessel optimized for long distance travel. Perhaps some sort of diplomatic shuttle."

"The Horde has diplomats?" Mara scoffed. 

"The Horde has one diplomat," Hordak said. "Horde Prime started the project shortly before I was exiled. I believe she was some sort of cloning mistake he kept around for amusement."

"I thought that Hordak eliminated flawed clones."

"Evidently he found some use for her. Perhaps he felt that a feminine touch would help the Horde's image in its dealings with other civilizations."

"So what, the mistake was that he cloned a woman?"

Hordak paused for a moment. "Horde Prime made a reference to some sort of chromosomal abnormality, once but I never asked if that meat the cloning process produced a female zygote or if he was referring to some developmental issue."

Swift Wind stamped on the floor. "Look, this is really interesting and all, but I want to steal a ship!"   
  


"Very well," Hordak said. "Please remain under cover until I signal you."

He walked towards the shuttle and nodded curtly to two workers who happened to be standing near it. After a brief conversation, they opened the shuttle for him and walked away. Hordak waited until he was certain that they were gone and motioned to Swift Wind and Mara to come over.

"That's it?" Swift Wind grumbled. "I was hoping it would be more… exciting."

Mara rolled her eyes. "This is about discretely stealing an escape vehicle, not gratifying your personal need for excitement."

"Well a little excitement wouldn't hurt."

"Just tell us if Adora is closing in on us," Hordak snapped.

Swift Wind's horn glowed. "Ah, yes. They're coming up to the service door now."

Mara leaned out the shuttle door and checked to make sure the workers were preoccupied as Adora's group came out of the maintenance tunnels. Once she was sure they were clear, she waved at Adora and caught her attention.

"Good to see you," Adora said after she joined her. "Are we ready to go?"

"We're already fully fueled. I just need to warm up the engines and wait for an opening in the queue," Hordak said. "There should be a free slot in about ten minutes."

A tremor rumbled through the facility as they waited, followed by a wave of darkness as the power went out. The air was filled with the wail of sirens and red emergency lights. The docking bay broke into chaos as an automated emergency message played.

"Alert: Containment field breach in main reactor core detected!" A synthetic voice announced. "Singularity containment failure imminent. Initiate evacuation procedures immediately."

"What?" Adora shouted. "Did anyone mess with the reactors?"

Entrapta held up her hands. "Hey, don't look at me! I was with you!"

"We didn't do anything either," Mara said.

"We can discuss this after we are out of the danger zone!" Hordak began to work the control panel and prepare for the launch. The doors began to close with a hiss until a pair of hands covered in power armor inserted itself between them.

"Hey, open up! We need to get out of here too!" A Horde soldier said.

Adora leaped forward and hit him with her sword. "Not today!"

He flew back into a pile of crates, but one of his friends drew a glowing sword and charged forward to replace him. Scorpia's eyes widened as she recognized the weapon.

"Woah, Sea Hawk?"

The soldier lowered his sword and took off his helmet. "Scorpia! Adora! Acquaintances! What are you doing here?" 

"We're spying on Horde Prime," Adora said.

Behind Sea Hawk, Bow was helped up from the pile of crates he had been knocked into by Kyle and Rohelio. Lonnie dashed out of the ship and hugged them. "Guys! What are you doing here!

"Horde Prime kidnapped Glimmer, Frosta, Mermista, and Perfuma," Kyle said. "So we snuck aboard his ship to try and free them. "

Hordak gestured at the flashing red lights around them. "Whose brilliant idea was it to try and destroy the station?"

Sea Hawk boldly stepped forward. "Why, mine of course!"

"Of course it was," Adora sighed. "Alright, everyone get in. Where is Horde Prime taking our friends?"

"To the  _ Amphion _ ." Bow pointed out of the docking bay doors. "They can only get there by shuttle now that the main power is down. That means we can follow them onboard and free them."

Adora nodded. "Alright, that sounds like a plan to me. Let's go!"

The shuttle freed itself from its moorings on her command and drifted out of the docking bay between a frantic stream of larger freighters struggling to evacuate. The station shuddered behind them as various compartments imploded behind them as the singularity grew in size. The  _ Amphion _ hovered over the chaos doing its best to manage the evacuation, and cleared them for landing in its hanger.

"What did I tell you?" Sea Hawk said as the shuttle touched down. "Everything's worked out perfectly!"

Adora shook her head. "We still need to rescue our friends. I don't imagine it'll be easy."

"Well, we could initiate the ship's self-destruct sequence and–"

Bow promptly put his hand over Sea Hawk's mouth. "No!"

"I, uh, agree with Bow," Adora said. "I… well, the Horde might not fall for the same trick twice." 

Sea Hawk stroked his moustache. "Very true, very true! What kind of cunning plan do we need to come up with?"

"Infiltration," Adora said. "We need to locate where the Princesses are being held, sneak them away, and then disappear."

Bow handed Sea Hawk his helmet. "That means we need to keep playing Hordesmen for the time being."

"Right, we just need a way to find the other princesses." Adora frowned. "Entrapta, could you hack a server again?"

"I'd love to," Entrapta gushed. "But we don't have a plan for this vessel."

Hordak turned around in his pilot's seat. "I'm sadly unfamiliar with this specific class of cruiser.."

Scorpia held up a claw. "Maybe we could use our special Princess senses to find them?"

"Well, I don't have special Princess senses," Adora said. "Do you?"

"Let me try!" *Scorpia closed her eyes and tensed her muscles. "Come on, come on… shoot. No. I guess being a Princess doesn't let you sense other Princesses."

Adora's eyes sprang open. "But you are a Princess! That means Horde Prime still wants to capture you!"

"And what, you think he'll throw Scorpia in with the others?" Bow asked.

"Hey, it's not the worst idea," Adora said. "Come on, let's see if we can scrounge up a few disguises for the rest of us."

Lonnie held up several emergency space suits. "Well, I guess it's plausible that people would be suited up in case of explosive decompression…"

"Perfect. Lonnie, you'll join me, Bow, Sea Hawk, Kyle and Rogelio. Everyone else should stay with the ship so we can make a quick exit."

Entrapta pouted. "But I want to explore the cruiser!" 

Hordak pointed at the display screen. "Well, you can also monitor a collapsing containment field around a gravitational singularity… if they can't get it under control, the whole station will implode."

"That sounds spectacular!" Entrapta hopped into Hordak's lap and pressed her face against the screen.

"Alright, let's get ready for our grand entrance!" Sea Hawk wrenched the door open and leaped out into the hanger. "Attention fellow Hordemates, we have apprehended the culprit! Please take us to our glorious overlord so that we may present her!"

The various soldiers scrambling about the hanger paused and stared at him.

Scorpia sighted, and then promptly rammed her shoulder into him and knocked him into a pallet of fuel. "Unhand me, you Horde brutes!"

"Hold her down," one of the soldiers yelled as the group wrestled with Scorpia. "I'll page Horde Prime immediately!"

"Oh thank Heavens," Adora said as she wrapped her arms around Scorpia's legs.

The soldier quickly came back with. "He says you're to bring her to the observation deck! Follow me!"

They marched Scorpia through the corridors and up to the observation deck, where Horde Prime's majestic form stood with his back to them. He remained motionless as he watched through the viewing dome above them as the command center slowly imploded.

"Well well, Princess Scorpia. I knew you would join us sooner or later," Horde Prime said. "I must admit that I did not expect you to do so much damage, but I can always build another command center. More difficult is having a full set of Elemental Princesses."

He waved his hand and Voxx led the rest of the Princesses at gunpoint. 

"Scorpia!" Glimmer hugged her. "Are you ok?"

"Welcome to the Horde," Mermista said dully. "Horde Prime almost has all of us now."

"All but She-Ra," Horde Prime chuckled. "But she will come in time, I'm sure. But for now, I would like to honor the brave soldiers who captured Princess Scopria. Won't you please take off your helmets so I can gaze upon the face of those who rendered such a great service to the Horde?"

Adora froze. To disobey Horde Prime aboard his ship was suicide. To obey would mean revealing their deception. There was only one thing to do. She reached up to remove her helmet, and then extended her arm to summon the Sword of Protection.

"For the honor of Grayskull!"

The sword whistled through the air and bisected Horde Prime, only for his image to flicker and refresh. A green forcefield promptly surrounded her and her friends, locking them in place.

"Fool," Horde Prime sneered. "Did you think I would not see through your insipid ruse? I knew from the moment you sabotaged my reactor that you would come for me. She-Ra, my greatest enemy, and oldest foe. You have had many names and many forms through the countless years, but I will never forget you, or the power that you wield.."

The view of the damaged command center was replaced by a brilliant green light. When it faded, Adora saw that they were in high orbit over Etheria. Her eyes went first to her home in the Fright Zone, which glowed with nighttime activity, and then shot over to the kingdoms she had helped, each one of which had a cruiser orbiting above it to ensure compliance.

Horde Prime laughed as he looked over the planet. "At long last, the ultimate weapon of the First One's will be mine!"

"Not as long as I have something to say about it!" Adora growled, as she fought the forcefield that held her in place. "I'll never stop fighting you, and I'll never let you control me."

"Oh my dear She-Ra, you have no say in the matter. You were never anything but a weapon. And now you will fulfil your purpose."

Bright prismatic beams of energy began to flow out of the planet of Etheria, and from the Princesses as well. Adora watched in horror as her arm raised itself of her own volition, and her sword began to channel the same energy.

"Congratulations, She-Ra. As they say, you have the power."

The screams of her friends echoed around her as blazing bright runes appeared on their skin. Adora felt a burning sensation on her arms and she realized that the runes from her sword were spreading across her body as well.

_ The Heart of Etheria is primed _

_ Evacuation orders broadcast _

_ Firing sequence initiated  _

_ Countdown has begun _

"No, no!" Adora's muscles bulged as she tried to override Horde Prime's control and cancel his command, but the sword that had given her all her powers had betrayed her. In the end, as Madam Razz said, it was just a means of control.

Horde Prime's hologram grabbed her by the chin and lifted her up so that their eyes could meet. "I want you to think well as you watch me reshape the universe in my image. I have conquered countless worlds and defeated mighty empires; not even for one moment of your pitiful rebellion have you been beyond my reach. Everything you have done has been foreseen, for many who were braver and stronger than you have failed to unseat me. Now witness the ultimate conclusion of your hubris and your folly!"

He pointed up at the planet of Etheria above them. As Adora watched, the image of her home became distorted as light bent around an object between them and the planet. Horde Prime's eyes grew wide in shock as a large warship decloaked ahead of the  _ Amphion  _ and unleashed a salvo of broadside fire directly onto the observation deck.

The  _ Amphion  _ buckled under the weight of fire directed at it and cracks appeared in the observation dome, followed by the sharp hiss of air escaping the ship. The lighting went out and red emergency lights kicked in an instant later, but Horde Prime's brief loss of control was enough for Adora to bring her sword down and smash it against the floor.

The energy streaming out of the princesses ran wild, and devastated the insides in a manner that an outside attack could not hope to achieve. The observation dome was blown out into space, while energy beams cut through the inside of the ship and out into space. Emergency forcefields sprang up around the damaged compartments, but they struggled to find enough power and rapidly flickered on and off.

Warning sirens rang through her ears as Adora opened her eyes with great effort. Visibility was limited from the smoke filling the air, but she could see that plants were everywhere, with the occasional stream of water running across the floor or ice block blocking an exit. Adora coughed from the smoke and tried to move, but found that a heavy table had pinned her to the floor. She pushed it off of herself with some difficulty, and realized that she no longer had the strength that She-Ra possessed.

The realization caused her to break out in a cold sweat; she was trapped on a Horde ship without any weapons, or visible allies. The only things she could make out in the confusion were cries for help and the occasional flash of green light. The hair stood up on the back of her neck as she recognized the energy signature; someone was teleporting people away.

Adora grabbed a broken table leg as she stood up on shaky legs and looked around for any signs of life. A pile of rubble shifted to her left, and she turned to see a staff swinging at her. Adora blocked it with her makeshift club and rolled away to put some distance between her and her enemy.

Horde Voxx stood in front of her, clutching her side in pain. "I don't know where you got that battlecruiser from, but one ship is nothing against the Horde!"

Adora raised her club. "I don't know either, but the Rebellion is more than just one ship."

She dashed forward and exchanged a fierce series of blows with Voxx, as their surroundings grew increasingly hazardous. Heat from the fires was building up rapidly and smoke was getting thicker and more acrid, while the force fields keeping them separated from the crushing vacuum of space began flickering with greater frequency. 

Adora stumbled as the artificial gravity sputtered and Voxx used the opportunity to trip her with the staff, before raising it high for a finishing blow. Before she could bring it down, a metal shard hit the side of her head and drew a stream of green blood.

"Hey idiot, look over here!" Glimmer held up both hands and made a pair of very rude gestures at Voxx before running off into the smoke.

Voxx growled and kicked Adora aside so she could run after Glimmer. Adora pulled herself to her feet and limped after them through the collapsed corridors and choking air until she found Voxx and Glimmer facing off against each other in an abandoned amory. 

"Give up, Glimmer," Voxx said. "There's nowhere to run, and you don't have enough magic to teleport."

"No, but I have this!" Glimmer grabbed a laser rifle and leveled it at Voxx. "Doesn't seem fair to shoot you, but I don't think either of us believe in a fair fight."

Voxx smirked. "Not at all."

Electricity cackled from the end of her staff as she smashed it into a sprinkler on the roof. A torrential downpour of water immediately followed, obscuring all vision. Glimmer fired the laser wildly, but the beam diffracted brilliantly off of the water drops and went wild as Voxx closed in. 

Adora threw herself forward to tackle Voxx by the waist. The gravity sputtered again and the two went flying off into a storage rack, which promptly disgorged its contents and buried Voxx underneath a pile of weapons. Adora gave Voxx a good kick in the side before hugging Glimmer tightly.

"I've got you," she breathed. "We're going to be alright!"

Glimmer tried to push her way out of Adora's embrace. "No, you don't get it! We're not-"

There was a flash of green light in the room, and the two vanished without a trace. In an instant, they were transported into a sterile teleportation chamber with the rest of their friends, who promptly mobbed Glimmer out of happiness and relief.

"Glimmer! I thought we lost you," Bow said. "Adora, I don't know how you did it, but we made it!"

Adora looked around in confusion and was about to respond to Bow, but the door to their room hissed open to reveal Catra leaning against the opposite wall. 

"Hey Adora," she sighed. "What does it take for a girl to get any credit around here?"

"Catra!" Both Adora and Scorpia pounced on her, raising her neatly off the floor between the two of them.. 

"Where have you been?"

"Why do you have bandages?"

Catra blushed and held up her hands. "Hey, that's a lot of questions. How about I bring you up to the bridge? I got a friend who can bring you up to speed."

"Sounds good." Adora extended a hand to Glimmer. "Glimmer, you want to go?"

"Yeah, uh, there's just one problem with that," Glimmer said, as her body changed to a green, lizardlike form. "I'm not Glimmer."

While everyone else was frozen in shock, Entrapta took the opportunity to grab her. "Fascinating! A shapeshifter! Didn't I see you at Princess Prom?"

"Oh yeah, you were one perched on the railings observing people, weren't you?" She extended a hand. "Double Trouble, a pleasure to meet you."

"What were you even doing disguised as Glimmer?" Adora groaned.

"I was trying to keep the Horde distracted so the rest of you could escape, duh!"

Catra shook her head. "Classic Adora. You just had to be the hero."

Bow began to pace back and forth. "So Glimmer's still on the ship? That means we have to go back for her! Catra, what are our options?"

"We get to sit here and wait," Catra said. "We used up most of our power getting as far away from the Horde as possible. By the time we recharge the Horde will have recovered and we won't be able to take them head on. The only reason we managed to sneak up on them this time was because I knew you'd all come back to Etheria one way or another."

Adora clenched her fist. "Then we'll take our time to plan a rescue. Catra, let's meet your friend."


	11. Breathing Room

Voxx's bionic implants stuttered and whined as she brought herself before Horde Prime's hologram on the bridge of the  _ Amphion _ . The ship had sustained heavy damage, but the power had been restored and the fires had been put out. Now was the time to report in.

"Lord Prime," she said, as she dropped to one knee. "I am sorry to report that the rebels and all of the princesses have escaped. Shall we track them down?" 

Horde Prime held up a hand to silence her. "All in due time, Voxx. But for now, I believe you should return to your regular duties."

"Do you have another diplomatic mission for me?"

"No, you are to resume your previous mission." He snapped his fingers and two guards dragged Glimmer onto the bridge. 

Voxx's eyes widened involuntarily as she saw the burns and bruises covering Glimmer's body. "What is she doing here? She should be in the medical bay!"

"You do not need to concern yourself with her condition; none of the injuries are life threatening." Horde Prime said coldly. "Glimmer, I feel that congratulations are in order. It has been a long time since I have encountered such an impressive act of resistance."

One of the bridge's monitors came to life and displayed the collapsing command center. Ships flew away from it as the superstructure imploded in on itself; in an instant it was replaced by a warped spherical void in space. Several unfortunate vessels slowed as they were caught in the black hole's pull, and drifted backwards despite their roaring engines, whereupon they stretched out like rubber bands and were torn to pieces by the gravity. Their remains formed a bright accretion disk around the black hole and two bright jets of ionized gas along the axis of rotation.

Glimmer was frozen in horror as she watched the scene play out in front of her, knowing that there were living beings onboard those ships, even if they were her enemies.

"I must admit," Horde Prime continued, "I foresaw many eventualities, but I never expected your friend to have a Thunderan warship at her disposal. I see that I was wrong to focus so myopically on She-Ra; your friend relies much more on allies than her predecessors of old. As such, I believe that the time has come to send her a clear message as to what happens to those who aid and abet the enemies of the Horde – a message that I hope you will help me convey."

Glimmer looked up at the figure towering above her, and spat into the hologram. Horde Prime was unfazed by the disrespect, but raised his hand anyway to strike her for it. Voxx quickly forced herself up and placed herself between the two.

"Prime, enough! She is badly injured and–" Voxx cried out in pain as electricity surged through her body. 

"You forget yourself," Horde Prime sneered. "Your existence has always been contingent upon my grace; I tolerate your flawed clone line because it amuses me, and provides some benefit to the Horde ever now and then. But I have cast out more capable clones with fewer flaws; do not think even for a moment that I would hesitate to do the same to you."

He turned sharply to Glimmer. "Consider this a preview of what is to come."

Voxx gave a strangled cry as her left arm began to move of its own volition and wrapped itself around her throat. There was a muffled flash and she rolled back onto Glimmer with her throat burned out. 

Glimmer gasped as she looked into Voxx's dead eyes. "You… you're a monster!"

Horde Prime shrugged. "As they say, spare the rod and spoil the child."

He motioned for her to be taken away. Glimmer did not resist as she was carried off of the ship; the memory of Voxx's death was seared into her mind. Eventually, she realized that they had arrived in a brig, with an open holding cell. The guards locked her away behind a solid metal door, but she scarcely had time to collect her thoughts before she heard a knock.

"Uh, come in?"

Glimmer's jaw dropped as Voxx stepped into the cell.

"Greetings, Princess Glimmer. Welcome to the  _ Velvet Glove _ –"

Voxx suddenly found it hard to breathe due to the tight hug Glimmer was giving her. "How are you alive? I just saw you… on the bridge…"

"That was… an unfortunate lapse in judgement on my part." Voxx felt her body grow flush and warm as she tried to pry herself loose. "Could you please not hold me so tightly? This fresh body is… uncomfortably biological. I am missing most of my implants."

Glimmer loosened her grasp slightly, but still kept both hands on Voxx. "I'm sorry, I'm just not used to seeing people come back from the dead."   
  


"I told you I had spare bodies, didn't I? Or… at least I think I told you." Voxx shook her head as if to clear it. "Sometimes… the memories don't always transfer with my consciousness, but I am fairly sure I at least made a reference to it?"

"But that was still absolutely horrible!"

"Yes, I will be sure to keep that in mind if the situation comes up again." Voxx tapped Glimmer's arm. "Now will you please stop clutching me? It's starting to feel… odd.."

Glimmer let go reluctantly. "It's called hugging. It's pretty common where I'm from. My father used to do it all the time."

"Yes, well, we have different fathers."

"Clearly," Glimmer frowned. "Though I wouldn't describe your relationship to Horde Prime in familial terms."

Voxx shrugged. "He is my biological parent. How else should I consider him?"

"When we talk about fathers… well, with my father… he cared for me a lot. The day he left us, the day I saw his body…" Glimmer swallowed. "Well, it broke my heart. Because we had a bond. A loving relationship. He was never my... superior officer."

"Yes, well, this is the Horde–" Voxx's voice broke and she took a moment to massage her throat. "This is the Horde, Glimmer, and this is what has allowed us to reign supreme over all other civilizations."

"As you've said," Glimmer sighed. "So… what does Horde Prime want me to bear witness to this time?"

"He intends to use one of the planet-killing weapons of the  _ Velvet Glove _ to destroy some of your rebellious allies."

Glimmer's hands shot to her mouth in horror. "He's going to erase Etheria from existence?"

"Not Etheria, no; the planet is far too valuable. But he will make an example of another planet." Voxx hesitated before placing her hands around Glimmer's. "For what it's worth, I wish it did not have to come to this. But this is how the Horde has always handled rebellion."

* * *

Entrapta could barely contain herself as she danced between Hordak and Mara, examining every inch of the ship as Catra led the way up to the bridge. So far, she had been on the spaceships of three different civilizations, each of which had their own distinct style. 

"I can't believe this, the design is so different from the First One's and the Horde! The aesthetics are so utilitarian, aren't they? Nothing like how pretty the First One's ships were, or the Horde's grand architecture! What material do you think the walls are made of?"

Mara reached out and touched the walls. "Interesting choice. Some sort of synthetic composite."

"Amazing! Why do you think they chose that as opposed to metal or crystal?"

"Well, we used crystal because our ships ran on magic," Mara said. "It's what allowed us to achieve faster than light travel as opposed to warp portals."

Hordak searched through his memories from his time as a general. "The Horde uses metal as it has extensive mining operations in its planets and asteroid fields, while advanced composites require more advanced manufacturing facilities. The costs of running an empire make metal a more appealing choice for general purpose shipbuilding. In addition, metal is often more durable than composites."

"More durable, perhaps," Mara said, "Though composites absorb kinetic energy better by deforming from the impact and are safer for a ship's crew. Which, I suppose, is not a consideration in the Horde."

"The ships are considered substantially more valuable, yes." Hordak nodded. "In addition, a composite that uses polymer with a high hydrogen density provides substantial protection against cosmic radiation. Again, not a concern that the Horde has ever shown. The only design considerations made with regard to the crew is usually the architecture, which is designed to impress upon them the grandeur of the Horde to instill a sense of awe."

"Fascinating!" Entrapta vigorously entered the data into her pad. "So by extension, this is the byproduct of a small military that is invested in the safety of its organic volunteer crewmembers?"

"We'll find out soon enough." Hordak pointed to the doorway ahead of them. "We're at the bridge."

They walked into a bridge far smaller than the ones Hordak was used to, with room for perhaps a dozen crewmen. A cat-like humanoid dressed in an unfamiliar military uniform stood in front of a large viewing screen, watching over the numerous functions of the ship. He turned around and raised his hand in a crisp salute.

"Welcome onboard, Adora! Catra's told me so much about you. I'm Tybalt di Leone."

Adora returned the unfamiliar salute clumsily. "Nice to meet you, I'm Adora, and… uh... ok, this is weird. I mean, you and Catra are… wow, I was only used to there being one of her."

Catra sighed and gave Adora a pat on the head. "Never change, Adora."

"Well, there's more than a few of us. There are twenty billion Thunderans in the Republic, not counting various other species such as lizardfolk or humans. I'd offer to take you on a tour, but I doubt they'd be pleased to see us as we stole one of their warships and used it to attack the Horde, which could drag them into a war they're not prepared for."

"Excuse me," Hordak said. "I've been out of the loop for a few decades. What is this Republic of which you speak?"

"The Thuneran Republic is an interstellar power based out of Third-Earth and expanding through the Gould Belt of the Orion-Cygnus arm."

"Hm. That arm was unknown to the Horde when I was part of it."

"It sounds familiar," Mara said. "I think it was part of the First One's empire once."

Adora took a moment to recall her conversation with the Sorceress. "The caretaker of Castle Grayskull told me that the First Ones came from a planet called Earth in the distant past. Is that the same as Third-Earth?"

"It's possible," Tybalt shrugged. "By the time the first Thunderans arrived, Third-Earth was a barely inhabited wasteland whose native humans only had vague legends of a vast war in the past that brought them to ruin."

"Well, if they were my people it served them right," Mara said. "There were, in retrospect, a tyrannical empire obsessed with power and genetic superiority."

"Well, then perhaps you won't be missing out on much. The Republic has many flaws." The words came out with some difficulty, but it was like a weight was lifted off of his shoulders at the same time. "Which, I suppose, explains why I am here committing treason to help all of you."

He entered a set of commands into the console in front of him. "Alright, it looks like the Horde isn't following us. I suggest you all grab some food at the officer's mess down the hall while I find us a safe harbor to resupply."

* * *

Adora leaned her aching body back in a comfortable dining room chair as a naval ration packet slowly heated itself in front of her. After all the craziness of the past few days, it felt good to have a moment to relax with her friends. She reached across the table for Catra's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"I was really scared when you left, you know."

"I know," Catra said. "But I… I had to have some time to myself."

"I'm glad you're back."

"Me too."

They looked into each other's eyes and smiled.

"Oh, hey gals! Look what I got, there's an open bar!" Scorpia sat down at the table carrying a tray full of liquor. "Who wants to try some rum and celebrate us being back together?"

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Adora pointed at Sea Hawk. "I mean, look at him!"

"Attention everyone!" Sea Hawk jumped up onto a table with a guitar he had found somehow and swayed precariously as he tried to maintain balance. "I would like to dedicate the first space shanty I have ever composed to my lovely Mermista, in honor of our joyous reunion!"

"Sea Hawk, please come down from there," Mermista groaned. 

Bow threw up his hands. "That's what you were doing when I was teaching you guys about space?"

Sea Hawk ignored them and played a lively tune on his guitar.

_ Oh, sing for a brave and gallant ship _

_ A fair and fiery thrust _

_ A jolly crew and a captain too _

_ To make the fuel combust _

_ To make the fuel combust, my lads _

_ To carry me far away _

_ I'm taking a trip on a colony ship _

_ Across the Milky Way! _

_ Oh, stellar winds do blow _

_ A-roving I will go _

_ I'll listen for the rocket's roar _

_ Upon the break of day _

_ For I'm bound on next flight out _

_ And I won't stay hereabout _

_ For I'm taking a trip on a colony ship _

_ Across the Milky Way _

_ Oh, my true love she was beautiful _

_ My true love she was brave _

_ Her eyes shone like the stars at night _

_ Her laugh was bright and bold. _

_ Her laugh was bright and bold, my lads _

_ As her starship left the bay _

_ She said, will you remember me _

_ Across the Milky Way? _

_ Oh, dark and dismal was the day _

_ When last I saw my love _

_ She'd a good luck charm around each arm _

_ While the stars shone bright above _

_ While the stars shone bright above, my lads _

_ As her starship left the bay _

_ I said that I'd be true to her _

_ Across the Milky Way _

_ Oh, I wish I was a bo'sun bold or soldier without fear _

_ I'd man a ship and away I'd skip _

_ And straight for my true love steer _

_ And straight for my true love steer, my lads _

_ Among bright new nebulae _

_ Where the star-dust's spun into new suns _

_ Across the Milky Way _

_ Oh, the light may flee from a black hole's pull _

_ And a black dwarf reignite _

_ And the galactic core freeze evermore _

_ And my hair turn ashen white _

_ And my hair turn ashen white, my lads _

_ And the neutron stars decay _

_ Before I'll forget my own dear love _

_ Across the Milky Way _

There was scattered applause as Sea Hawk bowed to his audience and promptly lost his footing. Mermista caught him and set him down on a couch.

"That was really sweet of you." She gave him a kiss on the forehead. "But you should take a nap."

He hugged her and mumbled something incomprehensible as he passed out.

"Well, I guess we should stay away from the rum." Scorpia sat down next to Adora and set a tray of drinks on the table. " Who wants wine?"

"I'll have one, thanks." Adora took a glass and smiled. "So, Catra, what made you come here? I thought you wanted to explore your own past."

"I did, so I signed on to recover this hunk of junk in exchange for access to Thundera. But Tybalt told me they likely wouldn't let me leave for 'security reasons' once we returned. I'd rather be out here with the two of you than suck on Third-Earth."

Adora put her hand on Catra's. "I'm glad to hear it. It's better to look forward instead of behind you."

"Otherwise you'll probably trip on something and fall on your face," Scorpia slapped Catra on the back. "So, where do we go from here?"

"I don't know, it's been a long day," Catra said. "I just want to eat up and rest until tomorrow. Maybe we can do some planning then."

* * *

While most of her friends chose to relax, Entrapta's technical mind would not rest until it had seen the inner workings of the new ship she was on. And so she had insisted, cajoled, and pleaded with Tybalt to show her the main reactor, a privilege he was reluctant to grant until Hordak and mara promised him that they would keep her from touching anything.

The main reactor was neither grand nor imposing; radiation shielding filled most of the chamber and the only indication that anything important was there were the few instrument panels and consoles strewn about the room. For Entrapta, however, the information that they contained was magnificent.

"I can't believe I'm finally seeing this! So, you're clearly generating a massive amount of exotic matter here… what do you use it for?"

"Well, we use it to generate dark energy and stabilize wormholes," Tybalt said. "We started using portal technology after hearing reports of the Horde so that we could have the same strategic mobility, but found that it could be a bit temperamental."

"You're telling me! It almost caused our dimension to collapse!"

Hordak looked away in embarrassment. "I mistakenly assumed that I wouldn't need to stabilize it due to only sending a radio signal through at the time."

"If I remember correctly, a destabilized wormhole leads to a vacuum decay scenario? How did you manage to survive that?"

"Oh, well we had to send someone outside of time and space to stabilize it using a First One's runestone."

"I'll keep that in mind if we ever have an accident." Tybalt stroked the gem embedded in his sword hilt. "It's no runestone, but the Eye of Thundera might suffice."

"Ooh!" She squealed. "What does it do?"

"Well, the legends say that it has many mystical and magical powers, though all I've gotten it to do is project a shield."

"Fascinating!" Entrapta bent down to study it closer. "I want to study it! Can I take a look at it?"

"It's a valuable family heirloom…"

"Please? Maybe I could find some way of tapping into its power! You want to learn more about it, right?"

Tybalt hesitated a moment before handing her the sword. "Well… I suppose if you can help me figure it out… the only person I could ask for advice is a bit distant at the moment."

"Excellent!" Entrapta hugged the sword closely. "Do you have a science lab on this ship?"

"There's something of the sort in Engineering, down the hall and on the left."

"Then there's no time to lose! For SCIENCE!" She grabbed Hordak and dragged him away before he could protest.

Tybalt shook his head and turned to Mara. "You are an eccentric group of individuals."

"We wound up in the same lot because of the Horde."

"Adversity has a way of bringing people together." Tybalt closed the reactor door and called the elevator over. "So, you must be tired. Can I interest you in one of the officer cabins on this ship? We don't have many, but Catra said her friends would be happier in the enlisted sleeping quarters, and you seem like you might prefer more private accomodations."

"I would, thank you. These past few days have been… confusing. I would appreciate some time to myself."

* * *

The enlisted quarter consisted of several dozen bunks below the officer's living deck and next to the armory. According to Catra, it was intended for use by a commando complement in the event that extra security was desired. It looked very much like the Horde barracks Adora was used to, but the bedding was made of higher quality material, and there were various small comforts scattered about; a viewing screen, some couches, and a ration dispenser.

"Hey, this is nice!" Adora threw herself on a couch in front of the viewing screen. "So, we'll all be sleeping here?"

"Well, I hope Sea Hawk and Mermista got a private room.," Catra chuckled. "Honestly, I don't think anyone else is going to go for the barracks other than our old squad."

"Hey, it'll be just like old times," Scorpia said. "Well, I didn't really know Adora back then, so really, it'll be even better!"

Scorpia sat down and hugged Adora. "So! Girls night in! Fresh off our victory against the big bad Emperor of the Universe! Who wants a movie?"

"A movie sounds good." Catra curled up on Adora's other side. "What do we have?"

"Let's see…" Scorpia fiddled with a remote control and brought up the media selection. "Hey, looks like they have romances! I loved romance stories, like the one where two princesses fall in love but can't get married, so one commits suicide and the other sadness causes a volcano to erupt and burn down her entire kingdom out of grief!"

"... yeah, uh, how about we watch a movie with lots of fighting instead?" Catra nudged Adora. "Adora, you'd like that, right? I remember how you loved to watch training films."

Scorpia's shoulders dropped slightly. "Oh, I just thought it might be nice to try something different…"

Adora shifted around on the couch uneasily. "Oh, um, those are both good ideas, but gosh, I'm just so tired. Maybe we should just go to sleep? It's been a long, long day."

She gave a weak smile and quickly excused herself to the bathroom.

"What was that?" Adora asked her reflection. "Great, Catra's back and she saved us all, but she's jealous! Of Scorpia, of all people? Why can't she just be friends with everyone!"

Adora did her best to calm down with Perfuma's breathing technique and took in several deep breaths, before she began banging her head against the wall. "Why. Does. This. Have. To. Be. So. Difficult."

"I, uh… wow, Adora. Maybe you should take it easy?"

She jumped and turned around to see Kyle peeking out from one of the stalls. "Kyle? When did you get in here?"

"Oh, I was just… well, the space ration packs all came with dried space coffee, and no one else was drinking theirs, so I mixed a bunch with space hot chocolate powder and made a space mocha, but then it gave me an upset stomach…"

"Kyle, just because we're in space doesn't mean you have to append 'space' to everything!"

"I'm sorry! I'm just not sure what to call it. I know we're on a 'naval vessel' and not a 'spaceship', but aren't navies supposed to be in the water? I mean, who's patrolling the Thunderan oceans?"

"I don't think that's relevant to anything, Kyle."

"Ah, right… so… you're having trouble with Catra again?"

"Catra is being difficult," Adora sighed. 

"Wasn't she always this way? I still remember when she tried to scratch out Lonnie's eyes when you two became friends…"

"Yeah, well, I thought she had grown past that. I mean, we were all friends..."

Kyle shook his head. "She was never our friend. We just… grew up together."

Adora threw up her hands. "Why can't she get along with people? She leaves, she comes back, she pushes people away… does she not like us?"

"Well, I know she doesn't like me, but she's never pushed me away. I guess that means she only pushes people away if she likes them. Which is messed up, but hey, that's about what you'd expect from Shadow Weaver's parenting. She loved you, hated Catra, and thankfully didn't care about the rest of us."

"Great. She's still causing me problems even though she's dead."

"Wow, she is? Yes! Finally! She always freaked me out!" Kyle did a little dance, but stopped when he saw Adora's expression drop. "Oh… I'm sorry. Am I losing focus again?"

"No, it's… well, as bad as I now know she was… she was still the closest thing I had to a mother growing up. Even though we did meet my real mother and my real family… She still was such a part of my childhood..."

"Ah." Kyle put a hand on Adora's shoulder. "I don't know what to say about that. But right now, we're all on a spaceship together and we're all here for each other – and even for Catra, I guess."

Adora gave Kyle an abrupt hug. "Thanks, Kyle. I wish we had been closer growing up. You've always been a good friend."

"Thanks," he said awkwardly. "So, uh, what are you going to do about Catra?"

"I guess I'll try to make sure nothing happens and sleep on it." Adora put her hand on the door and took in a deep breath. "Wish me luck."

The barracks were exactly as she had left them, with Catra and Scorpia sitting on opposite ends of the couch in silence. Adora leaned over the back of the couch and put a hand on each of their shoulders.

"Hey, come on. Let's get some rest."


	12. Chapter 12

The strain of constantly travelling and fighting caught up to Adora the next morning as her body loudly protested waking up. It seemed every part of her had some complaint against getting out of her nice, warm, furry bed.

Adora opened her groggy eyes. That wasn't right.

Her eyes slowly adjusted to the dimly lit room and she saw that Catra had curled up by her side agan, with her tail tickling Adora's nose. Adora smiled as she sat up on the bed and tapped Catra's shoulder.

"Sleepwalking again?"

"Mmm?" Catra rubbed her eyes as she woke up. "Hey Adora."

"Hey, it's fine. It's nice to see some things don't change even if we're older and a million miles from home."

"More like a million lightyears. A million miles wouldn't get you out of a solar system."

Adora chuckled. "Looks like you're taking to space pretty well. I still can't wrap my head around it."

"Not like I had much of a choice. Life changes.."

"You say that like things can't go back to normal."

"How can they? We've got the ruler of the known Universe on our tail. Horde Prime controls entire galaxies, and there's nothing so far that's stopped him. I don't think we'll ever be able to go back home now."

"So what, you've decided that we'll live a life on the run?" Adora crossed her arms. "Then why'd you rescue me?"

Catra sighed. "I… I figured I owed you that much because of all the pain I caused. But even though you've seen what Horde Prime's capable of, you're still going to fight him, aren't you?"

"He's hurting people! Every minute of every day! I can't ignore that, Catra! Someone has to do something!"

"So it's going to be you? Why is it always you?" Catra looked away from Adora as her voice broke. "Can't you just… live your life?"

Adora grew quiet. "Here? With you?"

"Well, maybe not here, exactly. I might have put it into Tybalt's head that he should be out fighting the Horde for justice and all that because the Sword of Omens wanted it. But there's a light freighter in the docking bay…"

"You did what?"

Catra crossed her arms defensively. "What? He wanted to hear it deep down, he was just indecisive."

"I'm not going to run away from Horde Prime with you," Adora snapped. 

"So what, all that effort I put into saving your life is just going to go down the drain? You're going to get yourself killed, Adora."

"I'll find a way! I don't care how powerful Horde Prime is, he has to have a weakness!"

"You don't think other people have tried? What makes you think you're so special, the fact that you're She-Ra?" Catra threw her hands up. "Adora, we live in a world with armies of billions and weapons that can destroy worlds in the blink of an eye."

"Still, there must be some way," Adora said. "And if not, then what good does it do for us to run forever?"

"Maybe we could be happy," Catra whispered.

"I wouldn't be happy."

"No, I suppose you wouldn't. You won't be happy unless you're out there saving the universe. At least you'll be in good hands." She glanced over at Scorpia. "Or claws, as the case may be."

Adora reached out. "Catra…"

"I'm sorry, I need some time to myself."

And just like that, Adora was the only one awake in the room. She threw herself into her pillow in frustration and yelled into it to avoid waking the others. After a few deep breaths, she rolled over and looked at the bunk above her. 

"Great. Now you've scared her off," Adora groaned. "Now who knows where she'll run off to?"

* * *

Tybalt knocked on the door of the engineering bay with as much restraint as he could manage, then overrode the door lock and entered it when he received no response. He walked in and saw Hordak and Mara asleep in different chairs, while Entrapta was busy hooking up wires to the Sword of Omens.

"Entrapta! You've had the sword for more than enough time! I'd like to have it back now."

"Just a moment!" She switched her attention over to a nearby computer console and began typing furiously. "I still have no idea what the Eye of Thundera is, but it holds unimaginable power! It just won't let me access any of it."

"Well that's too bad. If you could–"

"But now you're here!" Her hair wrapped around him and pulled him over to the sword. "Maybe if you used it, I could get more insight? Please?"

Tybalt sighed. "Alright, I'll use it once and then I'm taking it back."

Entrapta clapped her hands. "Excellent! This is going to be a momentous day for SCIENCE!"

Tybalt focused on the Eye of Thundera as he raised the sword up. "Alright, here we go. Sword of Omens, grant me Sight Beyond Sight!"

The world around him vanished and was replaced by a vision of a Horde ship loomed above a world just beyond its moon. Tybalt had studied many Horde vessels, but he had never seen one of this size; its harsh, angular form stretched on for a dozen kilometers and was filled with flight decks, weapon batteries, and exotic pieces of equipment whose functions he could only guess at. This had to be one of Horde Prime's flagships.

Tybalt collapsed to his knees with the sword clutched to his chest. "He's going after Third-Earth! I have to go back to warn them!"

He tore the Sword of Omens out of the cocoon of wires and sprinted towards the bridge. Halfway there, he collided with Catra as she left the barracks and both of them went flying down the corridor.

"Hey! Watch it!" She hissed. "Oh… well good morning to you, Tiger. What was that for?"

Tybalt pushed her off of him and ran down the hallway. "We've got to send a warning to Third-Earth, Horde Prime is going to attack!"

"Woah, hold it!" She raced after him. "Where did you hear that from?"

"I was using the Sword of Omens for Entrapta, and it gave me a vision." Tybalt opened the bridge and immediately activated the communication console. "I'm going to contact my superiors and take this ship back. You and your friends need to get on my freighter and leave, they might try to detain you."

"And you?"

"I think they'll have their hands full during an invasion."

He brought up a communication channel and was about to call in when Catra put a hand on his. "Wait. Before you do anything, shouldn't you confirm what you saw?"

Tybalt paused. "What else could it be, after we attacked him in this ship? I saw a massive Horde ship retaliate against a world with one moon and disintegrated it!" 

"That doesn't mean he attacked Third-Earth. There must be many worlds out there with one moon."

"But worlds that have offended Horde Prime?"

Catra's tail flicked. "Hey, I was just on one before I met you. We beat a team of Horde Prime's minions silly."

Tybalt pulled away from the console and took in a series of deep breaths to steady his nerves. "You're right, I should confirm this. I'm still new to using the sword, after all."

He drew the Sword of Omens and raised it high. "Sword of Omens, grant me Sight Beyond Sight!"

The Horde flagship reappeared in his vision, charging up a particle beam from one of its forward emplacements. A beam of searing white light shot out from the ship towards a serene blue planet, reminiscent of Third-Earth but with vastly different continents. The beam pierced the atmosphere as it hit the planet, which immediately glowed bright as the sun before dissipating into nothingness. 

He opened his eyes to see Catra leaning over him as he lay on the floor.

"What did you see?"

* * *

The makeshift crew of the  _ Belladonna  _ assembled in the officer's briefing room, with many of them forced to eat their breakfast rations on the spot due to the urgency with which the meeting was called. Adora sat near the head of the table, but kept her gaze fixed on the viewing screen and Tybalt's drawings of his visions to avoid thinking of Catra. 

"So, Horde Prime is going to hurt people who've helped us?" Swift Wind asked. "We can't just let him do that! I… I have friends there! I felt like I really belonged!"

"I agree," Scorpia said. "We can't let them get blown to smithereens!"

"That's very noble of you, but valor does not win wars," Hordak sighs. "I know that ship well; it's the  _ Velvet Glove _ . Horde Prime keeps many of his most powerful technologies and weapons aboard it. With his command center gone, it will be his only way of traveling between galaxies."

Adora cracked her knuckles. "So if we take it out, they'll be crippled even further, right?"

"Yes, but we must be smart," Hordak nodded. "Now, the power needed to travel between galaxies and then fire the conversion beam will drain most of the ship's reserves. The best time to attack would be right after he destroys the planet."

Everyone's jaw dropped except for Tybalt's. 

"That makes sense," he said. "We're in a dedicated capital ship hunter with cloaking. We'd have the maximum advantage if we attack when Horde Prime is most vulnerable. We could knock out his shields, teleport aboard, and take the ship down from the inside."

Scorpia slammed her claws down on the table and sent several rations flying off. "And just let a planet die?"

"It is preferable to getting killed bravely and having them die anyways," Hordak pointed out. "Many more planets will die if we do not stop him. Foreknowledge and surprise are our only advantages, and we cannot afford to squander them."

Adora stood up. "That may be how the Horde does things, and it might be how Thundera does things, but I am not going to sacrifice a planet like a pawn in chess!"

Mermista put a hand on Adora's shoulder and pulled her down. "Well it's not like we can take him head on, especially since you're, uh, no longer She-Ra."

"Besides," Tybalt added, "We don't have enough fuel to even get there, unless anyone has five thousand tons of energon lying around."

Entrapta raised her hand excitedly. "Ooh! I have an idea! Give me two swords and I can tap them for power!"

"Well that's not going to work; there's only one Eye of Thundera."

Catra's ears perked up. "Maybe, but don't you know someone with a very similar sword?"

Tybalt's tail swayed back and forth in agitation. "There's no way Victoria would let me plug her sword into our engine."

"Hey, do you want to keep the Horde from rolling over Thundera or not?" Catra crossed her arms and waited for an answer."

"Alright," Tybalt sighed. "I guess we're going back to Plun-Darr. Everyone better think hard about whether they want to take part in this; if you don't, then you can take my freighter and I'll leave you there."

He gave a short bow and walked out of the briefing room. Catra glanced over at Adora, and for a moment it seemed as if she was going to say something, but then she left as well.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm going to keep fighting," Adora said. "Who's with me?"

Scorpia looked at the others. "Come on, we can do this!"

Double Trouble raised a hand. "I'm onboard! I owe the Horde a good amount of payback."

"I'd rather not get involved, personally," Lonnie said, "But If Scorpia's in, then I'd like to have her back."

Kyle stood up with Rogelio. "Us too."

"I want to punch Horde Prime in his smug face," Frosta shouted. "Come on! Princesses together!"

"Princesses together!" Said Perfuma and, with somewhat less enthusiasm, Mermista as well.

"Oh, to raid and plunder among the stars side by side with my dearest Mermista," Sea Hawk gasped. "Dreams really do come true!"

"Well I don't know about that," Bow said, "But stopping Horde Prime from using Etheria as a superweapon seems pointless if we don't commit to it. If he has more, we've got to take them down!"

Adora looked at Mara, who had been quiet so far. "Mara?"

"I stand by what I said; I do not wish to be a warrior anymore," Mara said. "But you no longer have the sword, and if you wish to unlock the true power of She-Ra, then we will have to work together. I'd like to stay for your sake, to repay you for all you've done for me."

"I.. thank you. I appreciate that." Adora smiled at her. "Then I guess we better get to it."


	13. Strange Matters

There was a small gym in the living quarters of the  _ Belladonna  _ where Mara and Adora chose to meditate. They sat facing each other in silence, neither sure what to say. After an eternity, Adora broke the silence.

"So… nice to finally get some time alone," she said. "It's been crazy, hasn't it?"

"That is an understatement," Mara sighed. "But yes, I have to agree. I've been struggling to catch up with everything. It feels like I was fighting with my friends to sabotage the Heart of Etheria just last week..."

"Would you prefer if I gave you more space?"

"No, I've had time to think, and we do not have the luxury of further delays. You need to know of what She-Ra truly is." Mara took in a deep breath. "When the First Ones first colonized Etheria, they found that there was powerful magic there to harvest, and moreover, the planet's magic would manifest in a chosen guardian.They tapped into the magic and bent it to their will, ensuring that the subsequent incarnations of She-Ra would be under their command, so they could use her to master Etheria in turn. But the connection you have to Etheria is real, even if the control mechanism is gone. You just have to reach inside of yourself to find it."

"Can you show me how?"

"I never had the time to figure it out, but I have been taught meditation. I'm sure that if we work together, we can find it. Close your eyes, sit comfortably, and tell me what made you transform in the first place."

"The first time?" Adora closed her eyes. "I think the first few times I transformed, it was purely out of self-preservation."

"That's a strong motivation, but surely you had other reasons, right?"

Adora nodded as she remembered fighting alongside Glimmer and Bow for the Rebellion. "Yes. To help others, like my friends. All the people the Horde hurt."

"Can you reach inside and try to channel that sense of righteousness?"

"It's worth a shot."

"Good. Control your breathing, relax, and tell me what you feel."

"I feel…" Adora settled into her meditation. Minutes passed in silence and growing discomfort as she searched within for the power of She-Ra, but felt nothing. "I feel empty. I still want to protect everyone, but I don't sense She-Ra within me anymore."

Mara sighed. "Then we are sadly in the same situation."

"What did you use to transform, Mara?"

"My sense of duty to my people, though as you can imagine, that did not last after their facade dropped."

"So what do we do?"

"It's possible that your connection is blocked due to your mindset? I don't mean to pry, but you seem to be a little perturbed today."

"I'm fine, it's just that Catra's been.. Difficult. I swear, one minute she's happy and friendly, and the next minute she's pushing everyone away and running across half the universe."

"Ah, that is a problem," Mara nodded. "Perhaps if you gain emotional clarity, it would help you regain your focus?"

"You mean you have a meditation technique for that?"

Mara laughed and shook her head. "Adora, the only way to deal with your problems is to address and resolve them."

"I don't know if I can do that before the next battle."

"Perhaps not," Mara said. "But even if so, you are more than just She-Ra. One of the mistakes the First Ones made was that they saw weapons as the key to victory, but I believe that the indomitable spirit, the will to fight and resist, is more potent by far." 

"Well, I'll fight no matter what," Adora sighed. "But the weapons sure do help."

* * *

Sea Hawk crowded in front of a viewing port in the officer's mess, watching the stars outside eagerly. A green warp field encased them, and the stars were replaced by the ramshackle asteroid base of the Mutants of Plun-Darr. 

"I can't believe we're going to see space pirates," he squealed. "Just think of the adventures that await us!"

"I wouldn't say no to a cooked meal," Bow mused. "I'm starting to get tired of rations."

"Did anyone else sign on for our little trip?"

"No, everyone wants to stay in today."

Sea Hawk threw his arm around Bow's shoulders. "Then the more fun for the rest of us! Oh, what exotic jewels I'll find for my dear Mermista."

They dashed down to the hanger to see Catra and Tybalt preparing the freighter for launch.

"Ah, you're here," Tybalt said. "Ready to get out and stretch your legs?"

Bow nodded. "You bet! I'm getting spacesick."

"Well, artificial gravity does take some getting used to." Tybalt opened the door and sat in the pilot's chair. "Alright, strap in."

The freighter shot out of the hanger and descended down into the pirate station. Victoria stood waiting for them in the docking bay, with her arms crossed and her sword in hand.

"Well, looks like you two got your bounty," she said as they left the freighter. "What did you bring it all the way out here for? You caused half of the control center to wet themselves."

Tybalt paused. "We have a situation."

"He means he took the ship and used it to punch Horde Prime in the face." Catra illustrated the point by mimicking an explosion with her hands. 

"Hold on, I thought you were just trying to take the ship back, not start a war with the Horde! Does the High Command know about this?"

"I made a decision for myself." Tybalt held up the Sword of Omens and caused the hanger to turn dead silent. "I decided to take a page out of my ancestor's book and do what was right."

"Look, as happy as I am to see that you've parted ways with Thundera, you've got a lot of heat on you and you're going to drag the Horde right to our doorstep. I think I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"We don't intend on staying," Tybalt said. "But I'll need your help to get where I need to go. I know where Horde Prime is going to attack next, and we can ambush him if we can get there."

"So what, you need fuel?" Victoria gestured over her shoulder. "Go talk to the fuel depot."

Tybalt looked at her sword. "I need to tap into the Sword of Plun-Darr."

Victoria gave a short laugh. "You think I'm just going to let you take my sword and plug it into your engines?"

"Well, I was hoping you might come with us?"

She shook her head. "Sorry, not going to happen. There's nothing in it for me; I've got a pretty nice gig here, and I'm not going to run off on a suicide mission taking on Horde Prime."

"Aren't you tired of it, though? You used to fight among the stars, and now you just count inventory and let the Sword of Plun-Darr gather dust in your trophy room!"

"Nice try. I'm done with this conversation; have a nice time on this station and get out the moment you've refueled." She turned away sharply and walked out of the hanger.

"I should have known this wasn't going to work," Tybalt muttered.

Sea Hawk coughed pointedly. "My good fellow, if you'll excuse my saying so, you came off as transparently manipulative."

"Well I couldn't exactly call in a personal favor."

"Yeah, but you didn't have to do that! No pirate risks their personal safety out of a sense of duty or vainglory."

"What? You've been fighting in the Rebellion for months," Bow said.

"Ah, but I'm not currently a pirate! But if I were, I'd have to have a substantial personal incentive to join someone else's adventure."

"We're out of luck, then. Victoria has everything she wants."

Catra rolled her eyes. "Have you noticed the way she looks at you?"

"Yes, she is clearly annoyed."

"Well, the last time I talked with her she ended up reminiscing with you a bunch and helping you out afterwards. Does that sound like someone who's annoyed with you?"

"What? You can't be suggesting…"

"All I'm saying is that you two seemed really close at one point."

"Yes, well, we parted ways a long time ago when she chose to be a pirate and I chose to stay loyal to the Republic."

Bow looked at him in confusion. "I thought you quit when you stole the ship and used it to rescue us!"

"See! He gets it!"

"... oh." Tybalt turned around and ran after Victoria, leaving the others behind.

"Well, that was quite the romantic adventure," Sea Hawk chuckled. "Now, who's up for the bazaar!"

"Sure, why not?" Catra shrugged. "I'd hate for my last meal to be reconstituted spaghetti."

* * *

"It's quite fascinating, if only from an intellectual standpoint," Voxx said, as she replayed test footage of a weapon's test in a remote asteroid belt. "The conversion beam is composed of strange matter particles normally found in the core of neutron stars. Once generated, it lasts for less than a second, but when accelerated to near-light speed, it lasts for much longer from our frame of reference. And once it contacts regular matter, it converts it to more if itself. The physics behind the conversion process–"

"Voxx! This is monstrous," Glimmer whispered, with her eyes fixated on the image of asteroids vanishing from existence. "Horde Prime can't just delete worlds!"

"If there's no place in the Horde for a world, then it's of no use for Horde Prime, save as a lesson to others."

Glimmer looked away. "You mean to me."

"And to She-Ra, no doubt." Voxx paused and put a hand on Glimmer's shoulder awkwardly. "Glimmer, there is no hope for the condemned, but there is still an opportunity for you and your friends. If you agree to help Horde Prime talk She-Ra into surrendering, then perhaps more death could be avoided."

"I tried that once, and Horde Prime tried to use us as weapons. I don't want that kind of life, and I doubt Adora would either." She turned away from Voxx and sat down on her bed. "Don't you have an invasion to plan?"

"This flagship will not obtain the charge necessary for intergalactic travel for some time, and Horde Prime has taken to overseeing this himself. I'd prefer to stay here until he calls for me… if that's alright with you."

Glimmer looked at Voxx over her shoulder, then made space next to her. "Sure. You can stay."

"Thank you." Voxx sat down beside Glimmer and pulled her knees up to her chin. "What was it like, growing up in Brightmoon?"

"What, you mean growing up with my family, having friends, that sort of thing?"

"Yes, I suppose."

"Well, aside from the shadow of the Horde looming over everything, it was very… comfortable. I was happy when I was running around the streets of Brightmoon with Bow, or spending time playing or cooking with my mother." Glimmer's smile faded. "Then I grew up, and had to take part in the war… but even that had its bright spots, I suppose. I would have never met Adora otherwise."

"You keep calling She-Ra by that name."

"I used to think of her as She-Ra, when we first met and I didn't know anything else about her. But I don't view her as a weapon anymore."

"Despite her having been a Horde soldier?"

"She's more than that. The Horde may have raised her, but that doesn't define her future. She chose to be someone else. And so we're friends now."

"She is fortunate," Voxx said quietly.

"It doesn't just have to be her." 

Glimmer offered her hand to Voxx, who hesitated at the gesture. Before she could respond, a series of loud alarms sounded on the ship.

"It is time," Voxx said curtly. "I will be needed on the bridge. Please excuse me."

"Wait, Voxx!" Glimmer reached out for her, but found nothing but air as Voxx dashed off to answer Horde Prime's call.


	14. The Horde Strikes Back

"Hi, nice to meet you! I love your armor!" Entrapta said as she seized the Sword of Plun-Darr."

"Hey," Victoria snarled. "You can't just-"

"Sorry, no time to talk!" Entrapta promptly moved on to steal the Sword of Omens, then ran out of the hanger. "I'll give it back when I'm done! Bye!"   
  


Victoria glared sharply at Adora. "I suppose you're in charge here?"

"I, uh, guess you could say that," Adora nodded. "Welcome to the Rebellion."

"Fantastic," she said. "When do I get the sword back?"

"Well, uh, you can have it back as soon as we teleport, but it will need some time to recharge."

"Do we have time?" 

"Not much, no."

"You expect me to fight the Horde without my best weapon?"

"Believe me, I know how you feel," Adora sighed, "I had to sacrifice mine to stop Horde Prime yesterday."

"I suppose I can respect that," Victoria huffed. "I'll grant you've got some guts if you managed to take out Horde Prime's galactic command center, but you're going to need a lot more if you want to go head to head against his flagship."

"We'll think of something," Adora said.

  
  


A galaxy away, space above the planet Equestria rippled as a warp portal sprang into existence and deposited the  _ Belladonna  _ into high orbit. Barely minutes after the glow of the portal died down, a rainbow shot out of the planet and came to a screeching halt in front of the ship. The viewing screen zoomed in on it and saw that it came from a winged griffin clad in a suit of ornate blue armor.

The radio crackled to life as it received a transmission. "Halt and state your purpose!"

Adora leaned over and grabbed the microphone. "Hey! We're just coming to warn you of an impending attack!"

"Yeah!" Swift Wind said. "Twilight Sparkle will vouch for us!"

The radio fell silent for a moment before the griffon responded. "Alright, you've got clearance. alright. Lower your shields and give me access, we'll discuss this in person!"

"Bossy little creature, isn't she?" Tybalt muttered as he opened up the hanger. "Alright, let's see what this is about."

He set the ship on auto-pilot and made his way down to the hanger, where the rest of the crew had gathered. The griffon glided in gracefully and landed in front of them while maintaining a cautious distance. She took off her helmet to reveal a pair of sharp eyes surrounded by rainbow colored plumage."

Adora extended her hand. "Pleased to meet you, my name is Adora."

"Chroma, Captain of the Wonderbolts." The griffon caught Adora's hand with her claws. "Give me some space and I'll summon the others."

She pushed everyone out of the way and tossed a golden coin onto the floor. It transformed into an elaborate flower once it hit the ground. The air right above it shimmered and four alicorns suddenly appeared above it.

"Twilight!" Adora waved at only one she recognized. "I'm so sorry, but Horde Prime's coming after your planet, and it's my fault."

"Well, I'd personally blame Horde Prime for it," Twilight said grimly. "Don't be too hard on yourself. It was, in some ways, inevitable."

""Speak for yourself, I'd rather it be later than sooner," Chroma grumbled.

A blue alicorn whose starry mane flowed freely in the air glared at Chroma. "Thy objection is noted, Commander."

"Don't give me that, Luna. I'm here representing the Federation Defense Council, and you've been retired for the past few hundred years."

Luna looked like she was about to bite Chroma's head off, but a white alicorn with a glowing pastel colored mane stepped between the two. "I would hope that my sister's many years of service to Equestria would grant her opinion a certain amount of respect nonetheless. After all, we are all in this together."

"As you say, Celestia. But we're still getting dragged into a war that no one back home asked for."

A pink alicorn coughed pointedly. "Excuse me, but I've known the council members for longer than you have, and I'll wager they do not see aiding others as dragging the nation into war."

"And yet here we are," Chrome said. 

Twilight stamped on the ground. "Alright! Cadance, Chroma, stop arguing! We are wasting time when we should be planning!"

"Agreed!" Tybalt said. "If my visions were accurate, Horde Prime will be arriving any minute now. You're going to have to pull out all the stops."

"Well, that might be a problem," Twilight replied. "We're pacifists! We barely have any forces that can operate in space!"

"So what, is this everyone?"

The shadows in the corners of the room came to life, and a pair of pegasi as black as crows sprang out of them. "Not quite, but almost."

Adora's eyes opened in surprise. "Raven and Rook? Where did you two come from?"

"We were searching for Discord in his home dimension," Rook responded.

"Yeah, but the most we found was a note saying that the jerk had 'the fullest confidence' in our ability to handle matters," Raven grumbled.

There was a flash of green light as Tabula Rasa appeared in front of them. "Oh hey, the gang's all here! Looks like you've been busy recruiting, Adora!"

Adora waved at her. "Last time I saw you, you were as well."

"Well, I can only say that I wish I was as successful as you," Tabula Rasa looked down at the floor. "Morning Star will not be joining us. He said… well, the short of it is that he isn't interested. He said we were always afraid of him, and that we were never really friends."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Chroma snapped. "Just because part of him was a super-powered jerk doesn't mean we weren't friends! If he had any shred of his mother's loyalty, he'd show his hide!"

"Well that's the thing, isn't it?" Tabula Rasa sighed. "She was legendary, but ultimately mortal, and that part of him is dead."

"So we're going to be short-handed." Adora massaged her temples. "What do we have?"

"Well," Cadence said. "We can try to project a planetary shield. My daughter is quite adept at defensive magic."

"The Shining Armor Contingency?" Twilight raised an eyebrow. "But you'll need to gather magic from all over the planet!"

"We can do it," Tabula Rasa said. "There are changelings all over the world. If we can use them to relay all the positive feelings our people have and channel it through me, I can serve as a power supply."

Adora nodded. "That's something. What about offense? We don't know what Horde Prime will pull out if he starts slugging it out with the planet."

"Well, if it wasn't so much like swatting a fly with a sledgehammer, I'd suggest we hit him with the moon," Luna said. "But failing that, we could opt for a full-frontal assault."

Celstia shook her head. "That would put too many of us in peril, dear sister. I suggest we work together to come up with a complimentary strategy; Adora, what plan do your favor?"

"We want to teleport onboard and seize critical areas, but we don't have a way of getting through their shields."

"If that's all you need I daresay we could arrange something," Celestia mused. "Twilight, I don't suppose you've kept up with your astrophysics?"

"I might be a bit rusty, but I'm sure it'll come back to me," Twilight replied. "What are you thinking?"

* * *

The walls of the officer's briefing room now had an elaborate drawing of the  _ Velvet Glove _ , which Hordak had recreated from memory. Several key locations were marked for special attention, which Adora began pointing out to the crew.

"Alright, I've called you all here so we can go over our current battleplan. If we can take out Horde Prime's shields, we can teleport onboard and seize several critical areas. First off is weapons control, which should stop him from activating any superweapons onboard. Second, we will need to take over the reactor so we can power down the ship and prevent him from doing anything desperate like ramming the ship into the planet. Third, the bridge so we can take him prisoner."

Victoria raised a hand. "Do we really think that Horde Prime might try a suicide attack? I've met a lot of bastards in my day, but never anyone that suicidal."

"I would consider it within the realm of possibility," Hordak said. "After all, he can transfer his body into another vessel. As such, losing his flagship would only be a temporary setback, even if it is a significant asset."

"I keep forgetting the Horde can do that," Bow said. "So we'll be splitting into three teams?"

Tybalt shook his head. "Four. I'll need a crew to help me with the ship. I don't have confidence that the ship can handle this on its own. We'll need a small bridge crew to give it direction."

"And I got drafted because I'm experienced with space combat," Victoria sighed. "Despite the fact that I'd rather be carving someone up in person rather than fiddling with a bunch of numbers."

"Hold up," Catra said. "I thought these ships could run themselves."

"We haven't used AI for the last three centuries due to… incidents," Tybalt replied. "There are algorithms to handle combat if pressed, but this is a sufficiently unusual situation that we would be better off with an actual crew making high level decisions."

"Well, I think I would be well suited for that role as well, if you would have me," Hordak paused and looked over at Entrapta. "If I might make an additional suggestion, Entrapta has been working on this ship and we may need her aboard as well."

Entrapta tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Well… I would like to go and see the  _ Velvet Glove _ myself, but I'd also hate for  _ Belladonna _ to get blown up while I'm away… _ " _

"If everything goes according to plan, you can inspect the  _ Velvet Glove _ at your leisure," Hordak said. "So wouldn't it make more sense for you to stay with me?"

"Well when you put it like that, of course!" Entrapta hugged him, much to his chagrin. "So, do I get to be Chief of Engineering?"

Tybalt shrugged. "You can be anything you want."

Adora clapped her hands together. "Fantastic! Now, how about boarding party assignments?"

Bow tapped the weapon control room. "This is the most critical part, and I'm the best with technology other than Entrapta. I should be able to neutralize the superweapon."

Catra crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. "Just don't let your fingers slip and wipe us all from existence."

"What, do you want to come with and supervise it?"

Catra's tail flicked in annoyance. "Pass."

"Dearest, would you mind if I joined Bow's team?" Sea Hawk dropped to his knees in front of Mermista. "I promise that although he and I will share the noble bonds of battle, you shall forever be foremost in my heart!"

Mermista blushed and looked away. "I'm fine with it, just stop embarrassing me!"

"Then together shall we take out Horde Prime's cannons," Sea Hawk proudly declared. 

Kyle pulled Rogelio and Lonnie into a brief conversation before they stood up. "Hey, uh, we'd like to come too."

"Fantastic," Bow said. "I think that should be enough."

"Well if that's the case team two might as well be us Princesses," Mermista said. "Between Frosta, Perfuma, and Scorpia, we should be able to storm the reactor."

Frosta and Scorpia cheered, but Perfuma looked worried. "I was hoping that, um, I might be able to try and talk with Horde Prime? I know he has major negative vibes, but he didn't kill us, so maybe we could at least try to negotiate?"

Adora shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe that negotiation can work."

"I would concur," Hordak said. "The leadership of the Horde are all clones of one sort or another connected to a vast, decentralized hivemind. No one will step out of line, and Horde Prime will never negotiate in good faith."

Perfuma sighed. "Maybe not, but I'd just like to think that no one is entirely evil."

Scorpia gave her a quick hug. "Hey, don't feel bad for thinking that! That's what makes you a good person! It's just that... well, this is war, and war is war, you know."

"At least it'll be over soon," Perfuma muttered.

"Alright," Adora said. "I've already picked out my team, but does anyone else want to join? Catra?"

"What, me?" Catra huffed. "I thought you were going to pick Scorpia."

The room suddenly became quiet.

"Why did you think that, Catra." Adora asked slowly. 

"It seemed like you two got along pretty well."

"Catra, if you have a problem then you are free to talk to me in private," Adora snapped. "And if you don't want to fight Horde Prime then that's fine by me. Understood?"

"Fine," Catra spat. "I'll come with you. Wouldn't want all my work saving you to go to waste."

"Then that accounts for everyone," Adora said. "Meeting dismissed."

"Not everyone." Mara walked into the room quietly. "I've fought against the Horde in space as well. If Hordak can help, then so can I."

Adora's jaw dropped. "I thought you had enough of fighting!"

"I've had enough of tyranny, oppression, and war without end, yes. But in my time here, I have seen beauty in the galaxy and I do value my relationship with all of you. I'd hate to see it all disappear.

"We're happy to have you." Adora smiled and hugged Mara.

"Well, if that's settled then we should start training," Victoria said. "Everyone on a boarding team better get down to the armory and grab some gear."

* * *

Two clones came to Glimmer's door an hour after Voxx had left her and escorted her to Horde Prime's bridge. It was sterile and empty, with only Voxx standing next to Horde Prime's throne as he sat there, cocooned in cables while watching a vast array of monitors with unrelenting focus. Occasionally, something would displease him and he would concentrate on the offending data, correcting it with but a thought. Only when the clones had dropped Glimmer off and departed did Horde Prime pay her any attention.

"Welcome, your Highness," he said lazily. "You will excuse me if I do not bow; I am deeply connected to my ship's network at the moment. I must say, you will witness a rare occurrence indeed today; not only will there be a life fire demonstration of my conversion beam, but I myself will personally coordinate this operation. It has been quite some time since anyone has had the honor of matching wits directly against me."

Glimmer clenched her fist. "May you have the greatest luck in the battle, Lord Prime. This is without a doubt the finest ship in the entire galaxy."

"See," Horde Prime chuckled. "Was that so hard? Come, stand next to Voxx so you can have a proper view."

He waited for Glimmer to take her place before he returned his attention to the ship. The data on the monitors was replaced by a display of the vastness of space as he shifted over to the ship's cameras. Then, in a flash of green light, the stars were replaced by a serene blue planet far away in the distance.

"Excellent, Skeletor's telemetry data was salvageable after all," Horde Prime said. "We are now in the shadow of their moon, undetected by all. This should all be over in ten or so minutes as the conversion beam charges up."

Glimmer pointed at a far corner of the screen. "Then what is that?"

A dazzling rainbow arced through space and came to a halt in front of the  _ Velvet Glove,  _ revealing itself to be a winged griffon covered in ceremonial armor. Horde Prime raised an eyebrow as a message came through to him over the radio.

"Attention Horde vessel," she said. "This is Captain Chroma! By the authority of the Civil Defense Council, you are hereby ordered to leave this solar system. You have twenty seconds to comply."

Horde Prime casually brought his ship's weapons batteries online. "How amusing."

A dozen railguns immediately fired in response, two of which scored a direct hit. As they impacted the target simultaneously. Glimmer shielded her eyes as the monitors lit up like they were showing the sun. The only thing she could see as the light died down into a glowing cloud of vaporized metal fragments.

"That's it," the radio suddenly cackled. "You have zero seconds. Time to taste the rainbow!"

The cloud dispersed like it was blown away by a sudden wind to reveal that Chroma was surrounded by six colorful gemstones that projected a bubble shield around her. The gems flashed brilliantly before each of them emitted a beam of light that raked across the  _ Velvet Glove's _ shields, leaving ripples as the shield weakened. 

"It will take you a while yet to stop me with such feeble attacks," he snarled over the radio. "But your insolence will not go unpunished!"

An endless swarm of fighter drones poured forth from the bowels of the  _ Velvet Glove _ like enraged wasps. Chroma broke off her attack and quickly rolled to the side as the space between them was filled with laser beams that glittered off of space dust as they burned through her shield. Chroma's energy beams raked across the swarm of drones, but their numbers were too great for her to destroy as they focused their fire on her. 

Just before the drones burned Chroma's shield away, a dark shadow filled the void between the two and hundreds of black birds shot out of it. They ripped through the cloud of drones and began tearing them to pieces, forcing them to take their lasers off of Chroma as a frenetic bout of close combat ensued. Chroma took advantage of the opportunity and spread out her wings. The six gems surrounding converged their magic beams in front of her and formed a prismatic wave that swept through space towards the  _ Velvet Glove  _ like a tsunami.

Horde Prime's eyes narrowed as he watched over the monitors. "Well, what an intriguing development. It seems as if they have some fight in them after all."

"Lord Prime, do you have any orders?" Voxx asked nervously.

"Nothing is necessary," Horde Prime said. "This is just a multiphasic energy beam, nothing more. Which means that if I reconfigure the shield geometry slightly..."

He closed his eyes and made the adjustments just as the beam hit his shields. This time, the attack was not absorbed, but was neatly reflected back at Chroma, who had barely enough time to react before she was engulfed. When the beam died down, they could see her motionless body adrift in space. The black birds immediately broke off their attack and formed a wreath around her before vanishing from sight, taking her with them.

"Well, so much for that," Horde Prime sneered. "And now comes the hour of reckoning, where–: 

The monitors suddenly flashed red as radiation warnings flooded the screens.

"What… what does that mean?" Glimmer gasped.

Horde Prime began analyzing the readings. "What? This radiation profile matches that of a coronal mass ejection!"

The moon whose shadow they were hiding in suddenly jerked to one side and the  _ Velvet Glove  _ was bathed in the light of the sun. Horde Prime's eyes widened as he caught sight of a massive solar flare bearing down on his location. Although the plasma of a coronal mass ejection would take days to arrive, the high-energy particles generated by one would be arriving shortly after the radiation surge and be as devastating as any weapon.

"It's a trap!" Voxx shouted. "We've got to move!"   
  


Horde Prime went over his options in the few seconds he had before the solar flare hit. His shields were not yet up to full strength, and the teleportation array was still in cooldown, but he did not necessarily need to use either. The screens displayed a flurry of activity as he opened a portal right in front of the  _ Velvet Glove _ as a bath of high-energy particles swept over them. 

An exit portal opened above the planet Equestria, three hundred thousand kilometers away from the Velvet Glove. A mess of particles accelerated to near-light speeds poured out of it and flooded the planet's upper atmosphere. The invisible shield around the planet glowed bright red as it absorbed the radiation, until it began to crack like shattered glass and fall apart under the strain, leaving a gaping hole right over the planet's main continent.


	15. Chapter 15

Tybalt watched as he  _ Velvet Glove _ floated in space, dead in the water from its shorted out systems. The  _ Belladonna  _ had waited out the storm from its designated safe point in space, half a million kilometers away, and was now ready to make its move. He glanced over at his bridge crew and prayed to his ancestors that they were up to the task; there was no guarantee that the  _ Velvet Glove _ would be out for long.

"Victoria, take us in closer!" He shouted. "Entrapta, can you get proper resolution for the teleporter?"   
  


"Aye, captain! I'm givin' her all she's got!" Victoria said cheerfully as she piloted their ship closer.

"And I'm scanning for coordinates now," Entrapta said. "It's going to be really difficult with all the lingering radiation, but we'll definitely get a better reading the closer we get."

"Let me know when you're confident, we don't need anyone merging with a steel beam today."

Mara brought up the Velvet Glove on the main display and began marking off targets. "I've identified several sensor nodes that I believe should be taken out if we want to ensure that Horde Prime remains blind to our teleportation."

"An excellent idea," Hordak said. "I have also identified likely gaps in his fields of fire judging by the damage he's sustained. I suggest we position ourselves above the dorsal engines."

"Make it so," Tybalt said. "We'll begin firing once everyone has boarded to draw his attention. I hope they can work quickly; this ship isn't designed to trade blows or take sustained fire."

* * *

The boarding teams waited tensely as they watched the  _ Velvet Glove _ grow larger on their viewing screens. Although the ship was disabled, repair crews were undoubtedly working to bring the ship back online. At least it would take them longer to repair whatever automated defense systems and combat drones that were securing the ship; they would only be facing whatever living defenders Horde Prime had onboard if they struck quickly enough.

Adora ran her fingers along the weapon she had scavenged from the pirate arsenal onboard the ship. Entrapta had referred to it as a splitting maul, a combination of axe and hammer that was sheathed in an energy field that could disrupt matter once activated. The thought of using it against a living being was frightening, but if anyone deserved it, it would be Horde Prime.

She glanced up to see Catra sitting on top of the portal generator, watching everyone from above. Adora walked over and pulled herself on top of the machine so they could sit together.

"Hey Catra," she said. "Is everything alright?"

"No, things are fine. We're just about to fight the most powerful being in the universe."

"I know you'd prefer if I didn't go…"

"I'd like you to stop throwing yourself at death for the sake of others, yes. You've always have to do this or that; when are you going to do what you want to do?"

"This is what I want!" Adora narrowed her eyes. "Why do I get the feeling that you want me to do what you want? This is just like when we stole that skiff after I got promoted, it was all about what you wanted."

Catra's hair stood on end. "I just wanted to celebrate with you! Was that too much to ask?"

"There were other ways to celebrate, Catra."

"Yeah, well, I thought it would have been nice for us to get out of the Fright Zone, on our own terms." She sighed. "I suppose that makes all of this my fault?"

"I don't… I mean, things have been hard, but it's for the better, isn't it? The universe might be a better place for all of us in the end."

"If we live to see it."

"Catra, if you don't want to go…"

"I told you, I'm not going to let you get yourself killed."

"Yeah, you did." Adora smiled and held Catra's hand. "I… thanks."

Catra blushed and looked away. "Hey, you've looked out for me so far… just make sure you don't get yourself killed, alright?"

"I'd hate to die before I saw my family again." Adora squeezed Catra's hand. "You'd like them too. Why don't we pay them a visit after this is over?"

"As long as it gets you away from life or death situations."

Their conversation was interrupted as the wail of sirens filled the teleportation room.

"This is it," Bow shouted. "We're in range and going to teleport! Everyone get on the teleportation pad and get ready for combat!"

Catra and Adora slid off of the top of the teleportation chamber and hastily assembled with the others as the machine powered up and created three separate portals between the  _ Belladonna  _ and the  _ Velvet Glove _ .

* * *

The lights in Horde Prime's control chamber flickered as he forced his eyes open and saw that Voxx and Glimmer had sought refuge behind his throne as the equipment surrounding them continued to short out. But the  _ Velvet Glove _ had contingency measures for every situation; he reached out with his mind and forced the systems to reboot themselves.

The monitors came back to life and the hazy image of a Thunderan battlecruiser briefly appeared onscreen before it opened fire on the ship and knocked out several sensor arrays. The ship shook from the bombardment as Horde Prime sought out the ship's weapons, only to find them still unpowered. The monitors switched to an internal view of the ship's generators, which were now flooded with water. Occasional icebergs containing Horde robots floated through the water, while seaweed grappled the living crewmembers into submission. The feed then cut out as a surge of red electricity raced through the water and knocked out the cameras.

"It looks like you miscalculated," Glimmer said.

Horde Prime remained calm. "Loss is as much of a part of war as victory – do not think that a momentary upset will guarantee success. You cannot conceive of the vastness of the Horde and its many millennia of existence. We do not lose."

A figure dropped down from the ceiling brandishing a deadly maul. "Well, there's a first time for everything."

Horde Prime narrowed his eyes. "Ah, She-Ra. I thought I might find you here."

"Her name is Adora!" Glimmer snapped. 

"I suppose that is true enough. I do not sense the presence of She-Ra now." Horde Prime shook his head. "How foolish, then, for you to come into my innermost sanctum and challenge me."

"If you didn't want to be challenged, then perhaps you shouldn't have hurt my friends!" Adora shouted. "I'm giving you one last chance to surrender!"

"How odd. I was about to make you the same offer." Horde Prime made a lazy gesture at Adora with his hand. "Voxx, could you see to it that this Adora troubles me no longer? I need to put my ship back in order."

Voxx readied her electric staff and assumed a fighting stance. "Certainly. I have been looking forward to a rematch."

"Wait! Stop!" Glimmer threw herself between the two sides. "Voxx, please! You don't have to do this!"

"Glimmer, get out of the way," Adora shouted.

Voxx shrugged and nudged Glimmer out of the way with her staff. "You heard her."

She shoved Glimmer out of the way and charged into battle. The head of Adora's maul became sheathed in a blue energy field as she stared down Voxx for a moment before she swung it at her. The control room was illuminated with strobes of light as their weapons repeatedly clashed. Adora's maul tore gaping holes in the equipment around her, but her inexperience with the weapon quickly became evident as Voxx deftly parried her strikes and stepped in close to deliver an electric shock.

A dark shadow darted out of a wall vent before Voxx could land the blow and knocked Voxx aside with a flying kick. Voxx crashed into pipes on the far wall and landed in a crumpled heap on the floor as Catra towered over her. Voxx quickly adjusted her grip on her staff and swung it at Catra's legs; Catra avoided it with an elegant backflip as Swift Wind descended down on Voxx from above. His front hooves landed on Voxx's chest and knocked the wind out of her, before he raised them again to lash out at her head.

Voxx forced herself to move despite the pain and quickly rolled to the side to avoid the blow. She jammed the end of her electric staff into Swift Wind's sides. He gave a short cry and dropped to the ground as she brought herself up to face off against Catra and Adora, and the three of them danced around the room as they exchanged blows.

Catra dodged two thrusts of the staff before grabbing it and kicking Voxx in the stomach and let her claws tear through Voxx's flesh. Voxx stumbled back in pain as Adora brought her maul down. She raised her staff to block the maul's shaft, but Adora simply slid the Maul down so that the energy field could cut through the center of the staff. Voxx quickly jammed the two broken halves of the staff into Adora's sides and sent her flying back with the shock. Catra leaped at her with her claws outstretched; Voxx blocked the first swipe, but it knocked away one half of her staff. Voxx thrust the other half at Catra, only for her to catch it and dig her claws into Voxx's wrist to force her to let go. Voxx responded by grabbing the neck of Catra's shirt and pulling her into a headbutt. Their foreheads slammed into each other and Catra fell back in a daze. 

The room went silent except for the flickering of lights. Voxx breathed heavily as she steadied herself against the wall with the remaining half of her staff. She caught sight of Adora still struggling to get up, and staggered over to her intent on finishing the fight. Footsteps echoes from her left; she looked over to see Glimmer approaching her again.

"I thought I told you to–"

Glimmer pulled out the other half of Voxx's staff from behind her back and slammed it into the back of Voxx's head. Voxx fell on the floor and looked up stunned as Glimmer transformed into Double Trouble and kicked her weapon out of her hands.

"And that's what you get for holding everyone hostage!"

"Good job," Adora groaned as she forced herself to get up. "Everyone else ok?"

"I'll live," Catra grunted.

"I might not," Swift Wind moaned. "I feel like I've been hit by a thunderbolt."

Glimmer ran up to Adora and hugged her. "You made it! I knew you would! I knew all of you would!"

"Wouldn't leave you for the universe," Adora said as she hugged Glimmer back. "Let's end this."

Adora grabbed onto her maul and marched over to Horde Prime. "Alright, it's just you and us now. Do you think that you can put up more of a fight?"

Horde Prime gazed over at Adora lazily. "My dear Adora, I admit that your plan was magnificent, but it was not perfect.."

The monitors came to life and showed Adora scenes of fighting from all over the ship. Horde soldiers and robots were exchanging fire with the boarding teams in the hallways of the ship and forcing their way into the reactor and weapon control. The  _ Belladonna  _ was still firing from ten thousand kilometers away, but her weapons were now impacting against a powerful shield instead of the Velvet Glove's bare hull.

"If you had been older and better trained, if you had more time to prepare, or a bit more firepower, then perhaps you would have even won. But although you played your hand well, I still hold the trump card." Red warning lights and shrill alarms began to sound as the ship's self-destruct sequence activated. "I imagine you had in mind some sort of clash of titans for the ages. As romantic as that would have been, the reality of war is not quite so epic. My soldiers have retaken partial control of the main reactor, my shields are up and blocking your teleportation, and there are no other ways off of this ship as it scuttles itself."

Adora clenched her teeth. "If we have to sacrifice ourselves to make sure you don't destroy an entire world, then so be it."

"Well, I suppose that's what makes your act of resistance so sad." The monitors switched to the gaping hole in Equestria's planetary shield as a Horde destroyer abruptly uncloaked. "Did you think I had only one weapon?"

The lights and shields on the cruiser went out as it charged its own conversion beam. The  _ Belladonna  _ ceased firing as it turned its attention to the new ship, but Horde Prime simply maneuvered the Velvet Glove to shield the destroyer. Adora's heart stopped as she watched the ship fire a brilliant white beam out of its main weapon battery.

The stream of strange matter particles traveled down to the planet at near light speed. It traveled on its path unimpeded by any obstacle until a prismatic vortex sprang forth into existence in the upper atmosphere of the planet and absorbed the stream of particles. Once the beam was exhausted, the vortex died down to reveal a bright ball of lightning that unfurled itself into the shape of a pegasus.

The pegasus surveyed the battlefield hastily before it looked directly at the Horde destroyer in front of it and opened its mouth. The same particle beam that had gone into the vortex shot out of its mouth and hit the defenseless destroyer. The entire ship turned bright white for the briefest of moments before decaying into a soup of exotic particles. 

Satisfied with its work, the pegasus turned towards the  _ Velvet Glove _ and closed the distance between them in a second to ram into the ship's shields. Everyone save for Horde Prime was sent flying off of their feet as the ship rocked violently. The force of the impact seemed to stun it for a moment as it shook its head to recover from the blow. Then it began to emit brief sparks of electricity that bounced off the shield harmlessly.

"What is it doing?" Voxx asked shakily. 

Horde Prime smiled. "It is probing our shields in order to slip past them! Whatever that thing is, it must still obey the laws of our reality, and if that is so, then it means that it can be defeated like anything else! All I have to do is rotate our shield frequencies on a random pattern to buy myself some time."

"Time for what?" Voxx checked the monitors. "Half our weapon batteries are gone, and weapon control seems to be on fire; we may not be able to bring it back online."

Horde Prime contemplated his next move. "We may not need to; we can eject one of the ship's singularity cores and warp to a safe distance before the containment field fails. The ensuing black hole will have a Schwartzchild radius sufficient to swallow up this planet and the pegasus too, or at least trap it in a time-dilation field until we can find a proper solution. All I need to do is initiate a controlled collapse of the waveform–" 

The screens surrounding Horde Prime lit up as the pegasus outside spread its wings and enveloped the ship in a net made out of electricity. It looked right into the camera before dragging the  _ Velvet Glove _ down towards the nearby moon. The ship's forward engines roared as Horde Prime tried to break free, but all it did was strain the shields to the point of collapse. 

Adora's eyes widened as she saw the lunar surface rapidly approaching. She turned towards Catra, who grabbed her hands and gave her one final hug. 

"Catra, I'm sorry," Adora said.

"You better, be," Catra laughed. "But hey, if I have to go out, it might as well be with you."

Catra lifted Adora's chin and kissed her goodbye.

As they entered the moon's thin atmosphere, Adora's entire body was enveloped in a golden glow. The weariness and desperation that she felt vanished, replaced by a determined sense of hope. Everyone was counting on her to lead them back home alive, and she could not fail them. 

Or Catra.

Adora broke away from the kiss and raised her hand high. A bright sword-like mass of energy formed in her hand as she shouted the activation phrase, hoping beyond hope that she could shield them in time.

"By the power of Gray–"


	16. The Reckoning

Tybalt stared at the footage of the  _ Velvet Glove's _ impact on the lunar surface. The dust cloud spread out for miles and reached high into orbit; it would be a miracle if anything had survived down there.

"What was that?" Tybalt shouted. "We're on the same side!"

Entrapta scrutinized the screen closely. "If that was Morning Star… well, the last time I saw him he wasn't on anyone's side in particular."

"Well if he was going to go scorched-earth then he could have had the decency to do it before we deployed!" Tybalt smashed his fist onto the console in front of him. "Did we get our teams off of the ship?" 

Entrapta hesitated for a moment. "Two teams out of three. I couldn't reach Adora's team in time."

Hordak put a hand on her shoulder. "You did your best. Sadly, sensor readings suggest–"

"I don't consider anyone dead until I see the body." Tybalt got out of the captain's chair and turned it towards Hordak. "Hordak, you and Entrapta take charge of the ship, and treat the injured. Victoria, you're with me."

Entrapta dashed in front of him before he could leave. "Hold on! What are you going to do? You can't fly into a cloud of superheated debris! You'll wear out your shields and get vaporized!"

"Won't be a problem if I supercharge the shields with the Sword of Omens," Tybalt said.

"But they haven't recharged; if you get into a fight now you won't even be at half strength!"

"Yeah, well, after that stunt it just pulled, I'm willing to bet it's not at full power either," Victoria said. "Don't worry, we two can take him."

"Well if you both go and fight, who's going to pilot the ship?"

Mara stood up. "I can."

"Sounds like we've got a team," Victoria said. "Come on, let's get out there! This pirate is ready for some action"

* * *

  
  


There was only darkness when Adora awoke. Her body was wedged uncomfortably between a broken pipe and the wall, with Catra curled beneath her. She breathed slowly as her body began to inform her of all the injuries it had sustained and memories of the moments preceding the crash played through her head. 

"I don't believe it. She's back. She-Ra is back."

"Good," Catra groaned. "Then maybe she can get us out of here."

Adora hugged Catra tightly. "I will, there has to be some way."

She pushed the pipe off of them and cradled Catra in her arms as she stood up in the wreckage. The floor was at an angle and covered in debris; Adora nearly tripped as she tried to find secure footing.

"Is anyone else alive?"

A chorus of groans answered her question.

"I'll take that as a yes," Adora said. "Alright, we're probably buried deep inside the bowls of this ship. The corridors are likely all collapsed. How can we get out?"   
  


"If I had any magic left, I'd teleport us." Glimmer said from somewhere to the left.

Adora reached out and touched Glimmer's arm. "Come on, take my hand. Use my power."

Glimmer's fingers dug into Adora's hand. A golden glow lit up the room as energy flowed from Adora into Glimmer. There was a brief flash of purple and they were suddenly in a crater full of burning air and choking sand. Adora coughed as she took stock of the survivors; she could see Swift Wind, Double Trouble and Voxx next to them.

"Well, it looks like everyone made it but Horde Prime," she said.

"I imagine he switched bodies right before we hit," Voxx mumbled.

"And why didn't you?" Glimmer asked.

"This body does not have such capabilities. I would have to either self-terminate or be killed."

Adora laid Catra down on the ground and cradled her head gently. "Hey, you doing ok?"

"Might have used up another one of my lives," Catra groaned. "I didn't think it was possible to feel this much pain, but at least it means I'm alive. Unlike our friends..."

"I- I'm sure they made it off," Adora said quietly, more to herself than anyone else. "Just hang in there until we can get rescued, ok?"

Catra pointed up into the air. "I think someone else found us first."

Adora craned her head up to see the lightning pegasus surveying the scene from several thousand feet up. It folded its wings upon catching sight of them and gracefully in front of them.

"You!!" Adora grabbed her sword and pointed it at him. "What was that for? We're on the same side! Did you even care that you might have killed my friends?"

The pegasus ignored Adora and turned its head sharply at Voxx. 

"Hey, eyes off her. Don't you think I'm going to let you get away with any more chaos."

"He'd be right to," Voxx said. "There are enough implants on me for Horde Prime to control me through."

"So what, do you want us to kill you?" Glimmer asked in exasperation.

"It's a win-win for me."

Adora looked down at the sword she had summoned and thought about their options. "We have other options. We are not the Horde."

She knelt down on the ground next to Voxx and placed a hand on her forehead. Golden magic poured out of her hand and enveloped Voxx.

"What.. what was that?" Voxx shook her head and realized that, for the first time in her life, she felt painfully alone. "You… you severed my connection to Horde Prime!"

"Trust me when I say you're better off without him," Glimmer said.

Adora glanced over at the pegasus. "Alright, show's over. Why don't you get out of my face?"

The pegasus abruptly charged Adora head first; she instinctively swung her sword to block and sent it flying into the side of the  _ Velvet Glove _ . Adora raised her guard as she planted herself in front of her friends as the pegasus tore the hull apart and charged at her. A torrent of laser fire greeted it as Tybalt's freighter descended on the crater, forcing it to break off the attack and disappear into the dust cloud. The freighter quickly landed next to them and Tybalt and Victoria rushed out with their swords drawn.

"Come on," Victoria shouted. "Get to the freighter!"

"You don't need to tell me twice!" Catra staggered into a seat. "Let's get out of here!"   
  


"Gladly!" Glimmer put Voxx's arm over her shoulder and hauled her onboard.

"Glimmer, you know that thing is after me," Voxx groaned. "And it just took out the  _ Velvet Glove _ , it's perfectly capable of ripping this freighter to shreds."

"Voxx, just put on a seatbelt," Glimmer snapped.

Adora paused as the others rushed past her. "Tybalt, Victoria, are you coming?"

"We'll cover you," Tybalt said. "Now go!"

The dust cloud around them howled as flashes of lightning appeared in the cloud as the particles began to strike each other and generate a massive electric charge. Adora had never seen such a powerful thunderstorm in her life; if there was a hell, it would fit right in..

Adora found the intercom on the wall and activated it. "Is it safe to take off like this?"

Mara's garbled voice answered back. "Victoria will clear a path. At least I hope she will."

Outside on the ground, Victoria stood with her double-bladed scimitar held over her head. She gave it a twirl and it spun above her like a propeller. A vortex formed around her and spread out, countering the raging dust storm around them. The eye of the storm grew and stretched up until they could see the  _ Bellanova  _ in the skies above. Adora quickly held Catra's hand as the ship's engines roared to life and rose up into the air. 

A massive lightning bolt shot out of the clouds down at them, but Tybalt quickly summoned a shield with the Sword of Omens that absorbed the blast. Several streams of electricity merged together high above the ship and formed into the shape of a pegasus. Ball lightning began to appear out of the dust clouds and circled around it before shooting towards the freighter.

The ship swerved to the side to avoid the attack and shook as it came perilously close to the wall of winds on the outskirts of the eye. Adora's breath caught in her chest as she saw another barrage charging up outside, but a beam from Tybalt's sword shot through the pegasus. Its form began to flicker as the attack disrupted its concentration, causing the electric charge to dissipate. In response, the pegasus spread its wings and dived downwards at Tybal. Electricity surged in the air around it, and lightning bolts came down from the dust storm as if they were hurled by a vengeful deity.

"You want to go, don't you?" Catra sighed.

"I don't want to leave them," Adora said. "After all they've done..."

Catra hugged her and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Go."

Adora squeezed her hand, then opened the freigher's door and leaped out into the air. She aimed herself at the pegasus, who was still bombarding Tybalt and Victoria, and thrust her sword out as she collided with it in mid-air. Her momentum carried them both into the crater, where her sword pinned the creature into place through the abdomen. It began flickering again as it glared up at her and its eyes flashed; the next thing Adora knew, she was flying through the air and landed in a singed heap next to her friends.

"Welcome to the party," Victoria panted. "You got any ideas?"

Adora reached out and her sword flew through the air to her hand. "Well, we're not dead yet and it isn't looking so good either. I say we fight it out!"

Tybalt summoned a shield as the now steadily flickering pegasus charged at them. "Looks like you're going to get your wish!"

There was a deafening explosion as the shield was torn apart. The creature charged into the group and rammed Tybalt away from the others before it lashed out with its hind legs and sent Victoria flying into the crater wall. Adora slashed at it furiously, forcing it back against the wreckage around them and then thrust forward, hoping to impale it again. It dodged to the side and let her sword embed itself in a jagged piece of metal, then electrified it with a touch of its hoof.

Adora felt her hand reflectively tightened its grip around the sword as her muscles locked in place of their own accord. The air left her lungs as if she had been punched in the gut, and her heart began to spasm inside her chest. She tried to channel her power to resist the electrocution, but she could not focus as the blood supply to her brain shut off.

Then a swift blur slammed into the creature and broke his contact with the metal wreckage. Adora felt a hand on her shoulder as a golden glow enveloped her. Her heart began to beat again, and she reflexively drew in a lifesaving breath. Adora looked over her shoulder and saw that Mara was standing next to her.

"Mara? Swift Wind? I thought you two were with the ship."

"We came back for you," Swift Wind said. 

"I couldn't let you face this alone. And for the first time, I felt.." She looked at her hands. "I felt the power flow through me again, as it had never done before."

"Then we'll do this together." Adora watched as the pegasus flew up into the air and summoned more ball lightning to it. "Alright, here's the plan: Mara, I need you to find Tybalt and Victoria while Swift Wind and I fly up there."

Adora hugged Mara goodbye and then took off on Swift Wind's back. The two soared through the air, dodging from side to side as ball lightning filled the skies. She clenched her fist around her sword and raised it above her head as they charged forward.

"Alright, listen up! Fighting the Horde is my destiny, and I still don't want to go commit murder, so I'm giving you one last chance to turn back!"

The pegasus roared as they drew closer and hurled itself down at them like a thunderbolt. Adora turned her sword into a spear and hefted it in her arm.

"Fine then!" Adora took in a deep breath as she threw the spear with all her might. "For the honor of Grayskull! I am She-Ra!"

The spear soared through the air and struck the pegasus in the chest. The creature glowed brightly as the momentum of the throw forced it backwards, then exploded in the air. Adora was thrown off of Swift Wind's back as they both plummeted downwards. She reached out for Swift Wind, only to find that he was unresponsive; there was nothing that could help her break the fall. 

As the ground grew closer, she saw a massive shadowy bird swoop out of the dust storm and grab Swift Wind in its claws, while a rainbow beam surrounded her and suspended her in the air.

"Did I catch you at a bad time?" Chroma asked as she put Adora on her back.

"Couldn't have picked a better one," Adora said. "Is everyone else ok?"

"Well enough to handle the mop up. Come on, let's get you somewhere safe before that jerk reforms or something."

Chroma spread her wings and soared up into the sky, where the  _ Bellanova  _ waited in low orbit. Adora felt the air grow thin as they ascended, but she was She-Ra and found that neither the lack of oxygen or the cold bothered her as they flew into the ship's hanger.

They landed in the middle of an impromptu aid station that had been set up to treat the wounded boarding parties. Adora barely had a moment to register that her friends were safe before she felt the life being squeezed out of her bruised body.

"You made it!" Scorpia cheered. "I knew you'd get out of there somehow! Bow was sure you died in the explosion, but I told him not to worry!"

"Yeah, he's a real worrier," Adora groaned. "Scorpia, please don't take this the wrong way, but I'm in a lot of pain right now...."

"Do you need me to find a medical droid?"

Catra stepped in and put a hand on Scorpia's arm. "I think she just needs you to put her down."

"Oh…" Scorpia dropped Adora onto her feet. "Hey, Catra. It's, um… good to see you're back?"

Catra leaned in and gave Scorpia a quick hug. "Good to see you too."

Scorpia seemed surprised and reflexively returned the gesture, only to stop when she noticed Catra's injuries. "Catra, you're hurt…"

"Don't worry, I'll live." Catra let go and put an arm around Adora's waist. "Though not for much longer if Adora keeps taking on powers beyond our comprehension."

"I promise to stop for at least a week," Adora grinned.

Catra rolled her eyes. "Really? And what would you do with yourself?"   
  


"Well, the first thing I want to do is go back to Eternia. You're welcome to come too. If you want, that is. I know you've still been thinking about stuff and–"

Catra cut her off with a kiss.

"I'll, um, take that as a yes then."

"You do that." Cata wrapped her tail around Adora's wrist. 

Scorpia blushed at the display of intimacy in front of her and averted her eyes, only to catch sigh of Voxx being bandaged by a medical droid. "Wait, does that mean we'll be taking… Girl-Hordak with us?"

"That's an interesting question." Adora looked over to her right, where Glimmer and Voxx were resting. "Come on, I think it's time we had a talk."

Adora sat down next to them. "Hello, Voxx. I see you're recovering."

"As well as can be expected," Voxx said. "Although it does feel… lonely without being connected to Horde Prime. I am not entirely sure what to do with myself."

"Well, there's plenty of space on this ship," Adora said.

"It is a gracious offer, but I would hardly consider myself Rebellion material; I have done far too much for the sake of the Horde."

Adora raised an eyebrow. "We have Hordak."

"Hordak's little misadventure on Etheria is nothing compared to what the Horde has done to the universe, and the enemies it has made. And I don't think any of them would be eager to see me. In fact, as the face of the Horde's occupation across many planets, I can guarantee that I am much more closely associated with Horde Prime's rule than Hordak."

Glimmer gave Voxx's arm a pat. "The Rebellion isn't here just to fight the Horde, it's here to help people. Like Catra."

"Excuse you, I helped myself," Catra grumbled.

Adora tapped her on the head. "Well, you're here regardless."

"Yeah yeah, don't let it get to your head."

"See?" Glimmer said. "There's a place for everyone. Even Catra."

"That does sound appealing." Voxx extended a hand to Adora. "Very well, I accept your offer."

Adora shook it firmly. "Then welcome to the Rebellion."

A door next to them hissed open, and Tabula Rasa walked into the makeshift field hospital. "Oh, thank the stars! You all made it!"

"Good to see you too," Adora said. "Is everything alright in Equestria?"

"We had some infrastructure damage, but it's nothing that can't be fixed in time," Tabula Rasa replied. "Although this means we probably won't be able to aid you in your war with the Horde."

"What?" Catra snapped. "Not even after Horde Prime tried to destroy the planet?"

Tabula Rasa shook her head. "There'll be a nationwide vote, but we're pacifists and can't sustain a campaign among the stars. The best you might expect are some civilians signing on to your crew."

Catra looked as if she might make a biting comment but Adora stopped her with a firm hand on her shoulder. "I understand. I wouldn't wish this war on anyone."

"But we're in this war," Catra said. "What about us? I never asked for any of this."

"I know. None of us did." Adora sighed. "I can't run from Horde Prime – he will never stop pursuing me – but I won't force that on you. Where would you like to be?"

Catra threw up her hands. "I want to be with you, you idiot! I just wish we could be together without having to share you with the galaxy or constantly worrying about you dying!"

Adora fell silent as she felt the eyes of everyone on her. "... I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, being sorry doesn't do anything! What are you going to do? Are you going to keep going on an eternal crusade? Will we ever go home?"

"What do you even mean by 'home'?"

"I… I don't know." Catra closed her eyes. "Not the Fright Zone. Maybe not even Eternia. Nowhere I've ever been…"

Tybalt leaned over. "You know, they say home is where the heart is."

"Good job, Romeo." Victoria elbowed him out of the way. "Look, kids. Maybe a space pirate is the wrong person to give you life advice, but home is a place you make for yourself. Grab a bunch of people you care about and who care about you and you've got home right there."

Catra pointed at Adora. "And when she tries to get herself martyred?"

Can't help you there, I like a good fight! Really gets my blood pumping." Victoria put her arm around Tybalt. "Good thing I have someone to keep me grounded though."

"I guess so," Adora said. "Catra, I know I can sometimes get carried away. I'm still unused to all this – She-Ra, the galaxy, you… I don't know what i'm doing half the time, but I know I want you to be part of it. Can you give me a chance to learn?"

"You're such an idiot." Catra clenched her fists, then wrapped her arms around Adora. "But at least you've gained a few brain cells."

"Yeah, I know." Adora sniffed, as she kissed the top of Catra's head.

"So, where are we off to after all this? I don't think we should draw any more attention to this place."

Adora turned her head and gazed at the endless stars beyond the docking bay. "Well, I can think of a few people I'd like you to meet.


End file.
